If you’ve been using the recently released Google Earth 5.0 to check out what the oceans look like from beneath the water surface (tip: use the flight simulator to fly underwater), you’ll be happy to know that the company has extended that capability to the “Third Coast” of the U.S., meaning the five Great Lakes of North America (Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario) that form the largest group of freshwater lakes on the planet (roughly 22% of it according to Wikipedia).
Through a cooperative effort with the NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL) and the NOAA National Geophysical Data Center, Google Earth now incorporates detailed bathymetry for the five Great Lakes. Users will be able to explore features such as the canyons and shoals in eastern Lake Superior, the Lake Michigan mid-lake reef complex, and the old river channel, now underwater, that once connected Lakes Michigan and Huron at the Straits of Mackinac.
The NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory has assembled a narrated Google Earth tour, which you can download here. Or you can just check out the Google Gadget embedded in the blog post announcing the addition of the Great Lakes to Google Earth (requires the Google Earth API).
Let us know if you find the lost City of Atlantis in those lakes somewhere.
NOAA = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
as an american, i must say that geography scares me, and there’s little or nothing that the internet can do to make my fear of maps go away
For the record, the “Third Coast” is the Gulf of Mexico.
[citation needed]
Is there a definitive “Third Coast”??
I’ve always heard of the Great Lakes region as the “North Coast”. But I see no reason why it can’t be called the Third Coast.
Google Fight results:
third coast michigan beats third coast gulf
third coast lakes KILLS third coast gulf
third coast mexico kills third coast michigan
top few Google results for third coast reveal ALL Great Lakes area items.
Wikipedia says “The term is most often used to refer to the Great Lakes region.” and has a footnote.
Sorry, I think you’re wrong on this one.
The Gulf Coast is the 3rd coast
It is nice, but I don’t get why Google wastes, money, time, electricity over the flying maps and underwater tools for the masses. It doesn’t make money. No way to make money. It is nice. I’m not doubting the sweet aspect of it, but just seems totally useless.
Nothing Google does is totally useless.
That’s a dump thing to say. The more services Google has, the more people will eventually use their core service, which is search engine/advertising.
That’s like saying, why do stores run contests? They just give stuff away for free.
What are you talking about? I found the Edmund Fitzgerald, Gordon Lightfoot’s remaining career, and Jimmy Hoffa all in 5 minutes use.
Google need to map the universe next…
Google is getting BORING!
You listed the lakes in the wrong order.
Every Michigander knows you’re supposed to spell HOMES. Huron Ontario Michigan Erie Superior
You’re all talking nonsense anyway… The Great Lakes are CANADIAN.
lol
The walls of the lost city of Atlantis can be seen north of Isle Royale at latitude 48d12m45s N longitude 88d40m13s W. Check it out!
Blatantly need to do Loch Ness.