Google Earth Gets Wet

"Dive into the new Google Earth"
Official Google Blog (February 2, 2009)

"As you read this, I am at the beautiful California Academy of Sciences, announcing the launch of the newest version of Google Earth. This launch is particularly special to me because it marks the moment when Google Earth becomes much more complete — it now has an ocean.

"Didn't Google Earth always have an ocean? Technically, yes, well, sort of. We have always had a big blue expanse and some low-resolution shading to suggest depth. But starting today we have a much more detailed bathymetric map (the ocean floor), so you can actually drop below the surface and explore the nooks and crannies of the seafloor in 3D. While you're there you can explore thousands of data points including videos and...."

This is a little more exciting for me than it may be for you: I remember when the first detailed maps of the seafloor started coming out, four decades ago. Being able to Google "the nooks and crannies of the seafloor in 3D" lets me re-live a bit of my youth. This time, interactively and in 3D.