Under the sea (random WIP shots)

Apart from the mountains rising up, I also used the Blue Marble's bathymetry data to create the ocean floor using displacement mapping. The sea floor coloring is based purely on guesswork, with cyan for shallows and dark blue for deeper depths. Thankfully once the ocean water goes on top, the sea bed is practically invisible. I kind of like the colorful look though.

(All work-in-progress images below are dated 27 Sept 2011):

Displacement mapped terrain means the mountains will rise up and cast shadows

Displacement mapped seabed using bathymetry data means the ocean floor really sinks below sea level

"Australia, Australia, this is you" ^^ (The sea layer covers up all traces of the ocean floor)

Shallows off the west coast of Central Africa (and an early attempt at specular highlights for the ocean)

Anyway, displacement mapping is cool but it really slows down the rendering a LOT. And I'm using it everywhere ^_^;;