John Hanke, director of Google Earth and Maps, said the idea of adding oceans came three years ago when a scientist pointed out that the software was missing the water that covers almost three-quarters of the Earth's surface. Researchers and organizations can purchase a more powerful version for $400. The software is available for free on Google's Web site.

Google Earth has been downloaded more than 500 million times since it was launched in 2005.

'One of my fondest hopes is that people around the world will use Google Earth to see for themselves the reality of what's happening because of the climate crisis.' 'This is an extremely powerful educational tool,' said Gore, who won a Nobel Peace Prize for his work raising awareness about climate change. Google Earth 5.0 was unveiled at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, where former Vice President Al Gore, singer Jimmy Buffet and others spoke about its capacity to educate the public about global warming, ocean acidification and other threats to the planet. The new features mark a significant upgrade to Google Earth, a popular software program that provides access to the world's geographical information through digital maps, satellite imagery and the company's search tools.

Explore mars in google earth 5.0