Google Earth is a versatile program that allows anyone to study many aspects of the globe. The application features the ability to spin the earth and zoom in on any area and view satellite imagery, road maps, terrain maps and ground photos of the location. The free version of this software is available for download from the Google Earth site. However, the Pro version offers additional features, including the ability to calculate area between several points on a map. But this version costs $400, as of February 2010. Fortunately, there are free alternatives to calculating area with Google Earth data. Writer Bio