Google launches Google Ocean

Google has launched what is touted as being one of the most comprehensive 3D maps of the ocean floor in a major upgrade to its free Google Earth program rolled out earlier today.

Using bathymetric data obtained from some of the world's leading marine and oceanographic research institutes, Google has been able to build a realistic terrain map of that part of the Earth's surface covered by its oceans and seas.

Called Ocean in Google Earth, the feature complements the existing 3D maps of the Earth and the heavens housed in Google Earth, a program which allows users to zoom in and out of specific locations on a tapestry of panoramic images that have been woven together.

The core data for this new feature typically comes from sonar soundings which are then rendered into contoured visualisations of what lies beneath.

This will include continental shelves, undersea mountains, volcanoes, trenches, ridges and other hitherto hidden geographical features.

Much of what will come up on the new feature is a fuzzy expanse of featureless terrain this will be augmented with some 20 content layers of much higher resolution imagery, video and general data.

Google says the material will include detailed content about such places as the Great Barrier Reef as well as of dive and surf sites around Australia.

--------------------------------------------------------------------- Interview with John Hanke, head of Google Earth ----------------------------------------------------------------------

Content for this "Explore the Ocean" layer was developed in conjunction with the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies.

David Bellwood, professor of Marine Biology and the Director of the Centre for Coral Reef Biodiversity at James Cook University in Queensland, said in a telephone interview that the feature was more than just "providing pretty pictures" - it was a serving of solid scientific research.

"The great thing about this site is that it will be inclusive," he said, inviting the public to explore the sub-sea environment.

"Everyone can make observations and at this stage every bit helps."

He said most of the data was only two years old and were "vignettes and highlights of the research we are doing".

Google, he said, was giving marine scientists a platform to present and share their data in a way that would put that research into a meaningful context.

Professor Bellwood likened the experience to "snooping around in your neighbour's back garden without them knowing you're there".

More in newspapers everywhere

Contributed by Tim Hochgrebe added 2009-02-03