back to article Google Maps' Street View can now lead you into a bubbling lava lake

Google Maps' Street View can now show you the interior of an active volcano, complete with bubbling lava lake. This one's a feature, not a bug like Apple Maps' mistake that put a town of 30,000 people in the middle of a desert or Bing Maps' use of bad data from Wikipedia that led it to put a city of four million souls in the …

  1. Mark 85
    Pint

    I think a brew is in order for those two who rappelled into the caldera. I would hope that someone tested the air down there first. Pretty amazing pictures.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      If you've never seen the lava lake in action, it is hypnotically beautiful. Here's Geoff Mackley who got ridiculously close to something that is normally achieved by a lot of overtime at ILM:

      https://youtu.be/VuQrUwFn6bU

      (The descent begins about 1:20 in - after a fry up)

  2. Number6

    Not Etna?

    And here was me thinking that Google had a car at the top of Etna the other day.

    1. Nick Kew

      Re: Not Etna?

      Report on the radio yesterday told us some camerawoman kept on filming through that. Might be worth a look to see if her footage has appeared somewhere online.

      1. hplasm
        Thumb Up

        Re: Not Etna?

        It's on the BBC newspage. Impressive!

      2. Allan George Dyer

        Re: Not Etna?

        On the BBC News. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-39293086

        1. Mark 85
          Mushroom

          Re: Not Etna?

          Interesting story on BBC but I'll be damned if I'm installing Flash to watch the videos.

    2. Christoph

      Re: Not Etna?

      It's not Etna they should map next. They should send Street View down the lava tubes at the bottom of the crater of Snaefells Jökull - following the markings left by Arne Saknussemm.

  3. Mark Simon
    Headmaster

    Repelled?

    … two chaps repelled 400 meters down into the crater …

    I think that’s rapelled, or, if you prefer, abseiled.

    Unless, of course, they simply pushed each other all the way down …

    1. Jeffrey Nonken

      Re: Repelled?

      Perhaps they were both wearing monopoles...

  4. Chris King

    This confirms my theory...

    ...that Google doesn't like pedestrians.

    I've lost count of the number of times they've suggested I walk directly directly over a busy roundabout or play real-life Frogger with six lanes of traffic.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: This confirms my theory...

      > or play real-life Frogger with six lanes of traffic.

      Sounds like a normal morning stroll in the outskirts of Cairo.

  5. Allan George Dyer
    Paris Hilton

    Another reason to never use a Gogle self-driving car...

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Google's secret real headquarters?

    Could you spot Page/Brin//Schmidt stroking a cat somewhere?

  7. Arthur the cat Silver badge

    A bit like the old Adventure game

    Did anyone find a way out of the cave system ^W^W caldera by clicking on the arrows, or do I have to say "xyzzy"?

    1. Swarthy

      Re: A bit like the old Adventure game

      plough

  8. Gobhicks

    That's really awesome...

    ... but I'm also intrigued by the Meeting Place for Jehovah's Witnesses at the western end of the island.

  9. AbelSoul
    Mushroom

    Dirt bags

    Perhaps it's the scale that has me fooled but, if you zoom out until you're POV is from the top of the crater, the abseiling gear appears to be anchored by two sleeping bag sized sacks of soil.

    YIKES!

POST COMMENT House rules

Not a member of The Register? Create a new account here.

  • Enter your comment

  • Add an icon

Anonymous cowards cannot choose their icon