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Google has lifted the lid on its first major upgrade to its global mapping
software, Google Earth.
Google Ocean expands this map to include large swathes of the ocean floor and
abyssal plain.
Users can dive beneath a dynamic water surface to explore the 3D sea floor
terrain.
The map also includes 20 content layers, containing information from the
world's leading scientists, researchers, and ocean explorers.
Al Gore was at the launch event in San Francisco which, Google hopes, will take
its mapping software a step closer towards total coverage of the entire globe.
In a statement, Mr Gore said that the update would make Google Earth a "magical
experience".
"You can not only zoom into whatever part of our planet's surface you wish to
examine in closer detail, you can now dive into the world's ocean that covers
almost three-quarters of the planet and discover new wonders that had not been
accessible in previous versions".
Approximately 70% of the worlds surface is covered by water and contains nearly
80% of all life, yet less than 5% of it has actually been explored.
Google Oceans aims to let users visit some of the more interesting locations,
including underwater volcanoes, as well as running videos on marine life,
shipwrecks and clips of favourite surf and dive spots.
Conservation organisations hope the tool will improve awareness of issues
facing undersea life.
"With this, everybody can see the unbelievable beauty of our marine life and
how incredibly threatened it is," said Carl Gustaf Lundin, head of the global
marine programme at the International Union for the Conservation of Nature
(IUCN).
"We hope this major technological innovation will get the public more involved
in marine conservation and encourage governments and businesses to stop driving
ocean species to extinction."
Coloured worlds
The new features were developed in close collaboration with oceanographer
Sylvia Earle and an advisory council of more than 25 ocean advocates and
scientists.
Sylvia Earle, the National Geographic Society's explorer in residence, said the
new features would bring the blue planet to life.
"I cannot imagine a more effective way to inspire awareness and caring for the
blue heart of the planet than the new Ocean in Google Earth.
"For the first time, everyone from curious kids to serious researchers can see
the world, the whole world, with new eyes," she added.
There are also updates on the terrestrial side, including GPS tracking, virtual
time travel (where users can observe changes in satellite images, such as the
2006 World Cup stadium or the desertification of Africa's Lake Chad) and
narrated tours of imagery and content in Google Earth.
There are also updates to the Mars 3D section, so if users have had enough of
the blue planet, they can always look at the red one.