GOOGLE DIVES TO THE SEA

With Google Earth to explore the ocean floor: Main function on Monday presented the new version of the program is a map of 

the seabed and a lot of information about the ocean habitat. These include previously unreleased footage of the French marine explorer Jacque Cousteau. Who does not go under water, you can use with Google Earth 5.0 also visit Mars.

The new software allows virtual dive trips to the deepest places of the earth's surface.Photo: ap

 About Google Earth  see immediately why the earth, the blue planet is called: Good three-quarters of the earth's surface is covered with water. Previously offered only Google Earth maps of the country.The changes however with the new version 5.0 of the program, the Google CEO Eric Schmidt and former U.S. vice president and chief environmentalist Al Gore on Monday in San Francisco have presented.

The water surface is in the new version is transparent, so that the user already from space structures on the seabed can recognize.At the approach is no longer at the final surface, but the user can now move on to the bottom of the Atlantic penetrate, underwater mountains, or climb in the footsteps of Jacques Piccard to the lowest point of the earth's surface, the trench hinabtauchen Maria.

Besides the virtual dive trips, users may be 20 levels to oceanic themes display the partial partners have contributed. For example, the Cousteau Society, around 90 videos from the archives of the French marine explorer Jacques Cousteau helped. The videos, from the 60s and 70s, are part never been broadcast. In addition to the Cousteau Society also have the BBC and the U.S. National Geographic magazine articles, pictures and videos on marine topics are available, some of them also in German.

The goal of Google Ocean, says Stefan Keuchel explained, spokesman for Google Germany, on the importance of the sea habitat and its condition noted."In the debates on climate change, the world's oceans are often overlooked, although in this area play a crucial role. Approximately one third of the votes of people in the carbon dioxide reaches the oceans, "said Google CEO Schmidt.This caused extinction in the coming decades, "is roughly equivalent to the loss of the entire Amazon equal." A level shows information about over another, however, documented the experiment, important habitats such as the Great Barrier Reef of Australia through the establishment of protected areas to preserve.

In addition to educational content is also fun too: Several levels of water sports can be as divers, surfers or sailors, the best spots to view and of course information and even add images. For divers are also the locations of over 100 wrecks with pictures and videos documented.

Two years, according to Keuchel the development time, at various academic institutions such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration were involved. For the duration was the animation of the water surface, which the designers great difficulties. A year ago, so Keuchel, have not yet looked, that they may have been present.

If the sea is not geheuer, you can use with Google Earth 5.0 also a virtual exploration of Mars for yourself: With a click on the planet icon allows users to start our neighboring planets and 3D views, maps and pictures of various Mars missions View.

New are also the so-called virtual time travel, through the integration of old aerial and satellite imagery made possible. The earliest images date from the 40s and show aerial views of cities in the United States. In addition, Google has also integrated its satellite imagery older.

By clicking on the clock icon displays a timeline on which the user is older views of the current site can show. So he can about the construction of Berlin's main railway station, from 2000, follow. Other innovations are the opportunities, tours and a video recorded using a voice comment on which, as well as tours of GPS devices in the program to load. This was previously only available in the paid Pro version.

The software, according to Google since publication in 2005 over 400 million copies downloaded, is now available at earth.google.com for download. The version 5.0 is available in 40 languages, 14 more than its predecessor.