Google Earth has been around a few years now and many people are familiar with it as a tool that “lets you fly anywhere on Earth to view satellite imagery, maps, terrain, 3D buildings, from galaxies in outer space to the canyons of the ocean. You can explore rich geographical content, save your toured places, and share with others” (Google Earth website). Now Google Earth has been upgraded to allow users to view large parts of the ocean floor. Given that oceans cover over 70% of the Earth’s surface, the existing Google Earth had to be upgraded at some point but the addition of ocean seafloor has meant a change from the satellite sensors used to provide mapping information for the land surface to the acoustic sensors that are used by marine surveyors to map the seafloor. Much of the seafloor data has come from the US Navy and this means that there are blank regions in sensitive areas. Google Oceans can be obtained by downloading (for free) the latest version of Google Earth. You can read more about this new facility on the BBC website and at New Scientist magazine.
Tim O'Hare 