Google Earth Now Maps the Ocean Floor and Mars in 3D
Google just released a major new update to Google Earth that now includes the rumored maps of the ocean floor. Google unveiled this update at an event at the California Academy of Sciences. After installing the latest version of Google Earth, you will be able to explore the ocean floor in the same way you browse the Earth's surface. Besides mapping the oceans, however, Google has also added three more interesting new features to Google Earth: easier access to historical imagery, the ability to record and narrate fly-through tours with the new 'touring' feature, and a 3D map of Mars.
Ocean Floor
Thanks to the new layers for the ocean floor, you can now dive below the surface and explore the seafloor in 3D. Google has also added a large number of additional data points with videos and still images to these new layers.
Historical Maps
The new 'historical maps' feature allows you to see how the geography of a certain area has changed over time. Just click on the new clock icon in the toolbar and a new slider appears that lets you move back and forth in time. Google is able to draw upon a rich database of historical images, though how far you can go back in time depends on the specific region you are looking at. At least of the U.S. and Europe, we were often able to go back twenty or more years, but for other areas, the data often didn't go back much further than five or six years.
Touring
Another new feature in Google Earth is the ability to record your own tours while browsing the maps. After clicking the new record button, all your movements in Google Earth will be recorded and you can then play them back later or share them with others.
Mars
Also new is a 3D map of Mars, which includes high-resolution images from NASA, 3D terrain data, and annotations for landing sites and other interesting features. Google already offered a version of Google Maps for Mars and the Google Earth user community has been offering a Mars layer for Google Earth since 2006.
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In olden days, before Google turned to the dark side, I would have rushed over and downloaded it.
Of course now its a problem, you can't just download the program, you are forced to download their bloat ware installer, which sets itself up as a service on your system.
These days you have to wait until someone make a third party repackaging in order to use it.
Baaa. You are disgusting Google.
You forgot to mention the animations and the globes for the Street View, very cool!
It is a rather cool idea but in this day and age with so many companies (and people) struggling it seems like a huge waste of money. Is Google going to be able to profit off of this to make the amount of hours spent on it worth while?
Simply an incredible upgrade. Those using it in rural areas may want to check off the 'backdate to 2007' on the USGS images.
good idea - the data in rural areas can often be a strange mix of new and old images
Posted by: Frederic
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February 2, 2009 8:43 PM
If we ever get lost on the bottom of the ocean, we will use Google Earth to get back to the surface.
It's nice, but who will pay for something nice today?
And I want to be the first third-party developer to announce we’re already shipping support for authoring Google Earth 5 Guided tours in our Visual Nature Studio/Scene Express tools.
http://3dnature.com/vns3fotw-ge5.html
cool, also check out:
http://www.jaiderbertoli.com/blog/11-tech/27-google-earth-now-includes-undersea-view