Google Earth dives into oceans, moves through time

Google has unleashed version 5.0 of Google Earth, one of the main new features of this version is that you can now dive into the oceans. Google is providing a detailed bathymetric map so you can now explore the ocean floor in 3D. Additionally, Google also added thousands of data points, with videos and images, of real ocean expeditions, ocean life, the best surf spots, and much more.

One of the other major changes in Google Earth 5.0 is that you can now move back and forth in time:

* Historical Imagery: Until today, Google Earth displayed only one image of a given place at a given time. With this new feature, you can now move back and forth in time to reveal imagery from years and even decades past, revealing changes over time. Try flying south of San Francisco in Google Earth and turning on the new time slider (click the "clock" icon in the toolbar) to witness the transformation of Silicon Valley from a farming community to the tech capital of the world over the past 50 years or so.

* Touring: One of the key challenges we have faced in developing Google Earth has been making it easier for people to tell stories. People have created wonderful layers to share with the world, but they have often asked for a way to guide others through them. The Touring feature makes it simple to create an easily sharable, narrated, fly-through tour just by clicking the record button and navigating through your tour destinations.

* 3D Mars: This is the latest stop in our virtual tour of the galaxies, made possible by a collaboration with NASA. By selecting "Mars" from the toolbar in Google Earth, you can access a 3D map of the Red Planet featuring the latest high-resolution imagery, 3D terrain, and annotations showing landing sites and lots of other interesting features.

More info at Google Blog.