Cubic Kilometers to Cubic Miles
Converter

Conversion Table

How to convert

1 cubic kilometer (cu km) = 0.239912759 cubic mile (cu mi). Cubic Kilometer (cu km) is a unit of Volume used in Metric system. Cubic Mile (cu mi) is a unit of Volume used in Standard system.

Cubic Kilometers: A Unit of Volume

Definition of the Cubic Kilometer

A cubic kilometer is a unit of volume that measures how much space an object or substance occupies. It is equal to the volume of a cube that has a side length of one kilometer, or 1000 meters. One cubic kilometer can also be written as km³ or 10⁹ m³.

History of the Cubic Kilometer

The cubic kilometer is a metric unit that was derived from the meter, which was first defined in 1793 by the French Academy of Sciences as one ten-millionth of the distance from the equator to the North Pole. The meter was later redefined several times based on different physical standards, such as a platinum-iridium bar and a wavelength of light. In 1983, the meter was finally defined as the length of the path traveled by light in vacuum in 1/299,792,458 of a second.

The cubic kilometer, as well as other metric units of volume, such as the liter and the cubic meter, were introduced in the 19th century as part of the decimal system of measurement that aimed to simplify and unify the units used in science and commerce. The cubic kilometer was officially adopted by the International System of Units (SI) in 1960 as one of the seven base units.

How to Convert Cubic Kilometers

To convert cubic kilometers to other units of volume, we need to use conversion factors that relate the cubic kilometer to the desired unit. For example, to convert cubic kilometers to liters, we need to know that one liter is equal to one cubic decimeter, or 0.001 cubic meters. Therefore, one cubic kilometer is equal to 10⁹ cubic meters, or 10¹² liters.

Here are some common conversion factors for cubic kilometers:

• 1 km³ = 10⁹ m³
• 1 km³ = 10¹² L
• 1 km³ = 264.172 billion US gallons
• 1 km³ = 219.969 billion UK gallons
• 1 km³ = 35.315 billion ft³
• 1 km³ = 1.307 billion yd³
• 1 km³ = 6.289 billion barrels (oil)
• 1 km³ = 810,713 acre-feet

To convert from other units of volume to cubic kilometers, we need to use the inverse of these conversion factors. For example, to convert liters to cubic kilometers, we need to divide by 10¹².

Where Cubic Kilometers are Used

The cubic kilometer is a very large unit of volume that is mainly used to measure the volume of water in large bodies such as oceans, lakes, rivers and glaciers. For example, according to the US Geological Survey, the volume of water in all the oceans of the world is about 1.335 billion km³. The volume of water in Lake Superior, the largest freshwater lake by surface area in the world, is about 12,100 km³. The volume of water in the Amazon River, the largest river by discharge in the world, is about 0.21 km³/day.

The cubic kilometer is also used to measure the volume of some natural phenomena such as volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and landslides. For example, according to NASA, the volume of material ejected by the Mount Pinatubo eruption in 1991 was about 10 km³. The volume of rock displaced by the Tohoku earthquake in 2011 was about 800 km³. The volume of soil and rock involved in the Bingham Canyon landslide in Utah in 2013 was about 0.065 km³.

Example Conversions of Cubic Kilometers to Other Units

Here are some examples of how to convert cubic kilometers to other units of volume using the conversion factors given above:

• 2 km³ = 2 x 10⁹ m³ = 2 billion m³
• 3 km³ = 3 x 10¹² L = 3 trillion L
• 4 km³ = 4 x 264.172 billion US gallons = 1.057 trillion US gallons
• 5 km³ = 5 x 219.969 billion UK gallons = 1.1 trillion UK gallons
• 6 km³ = 6 x 35.315 billion ft³ = 211.89 billion ft³
• 7 km³ = 7 x 1.307 billion yd³ = 9.149 billion yd³
• 8 km³ = 8 x 6.289 billion barrels (oil) = 50.312 billion barrels (oil)
• 9 km³ = 9 x 810,713 acre-feet = 7.296 million acre-feet

Conclusion

The cubic kilometer is a unit of volume that is equal to the volume of a cube that has a side length of one kilometer. It is mainly used to measure the volume of water in large bodies such as oceans, lakes, rivers and glaciers, as well as some natural phenomena such as volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and landslides. To convert cubic kilometers to other units of volume, we need to use conversion factors that relate the cubic kilometer to the desired unit.

Cubic Miles: A Unit of Volume

Definition of the Cubic Mile

A cubic mile is a unit of volume that measures how much space an object or substance occupies. It is equal to the volume of a cube that has a side length of one mile, or 5280 feet, or 1760 yards, or about 1.609 kilometers. One cubic mile can also be written as mi³ or 4.168 x 10⁹ m³.

History of the Cubic Mile

The cubic mile is an imperial and US customary unit that was derived from the mile, which was originally defined by the Romans as 1000 paces, or about 5000 feet. The mile was later standardized by various authorities and countries, such as the British Parliament in 1593 and the US Congress in 1893. The mile was also used as a basis for other units of length, such as the furlong, the rod, the chain and the link.

The cubic mile, as well as other imperial and US customary units of volume, such as the gallon, the quart, the pint and the fluid ounce, were introduced in the 18th century as part of the British imperial system of measurement that aimed to regulate and simplify the units used in trade and commerce. The cubic mile was officially adopted by the International System of Units (SI) in 1960 as one of the seven base units.

How to Convert Cubic Miles

To convert cubic miles to other units of volume, we need to use conversion factors that relate the cubic mile to the desired unit. For example, to convert cubic miles to liters, we need to know that one liter is equal to one cubic decimeter, or 0.001 cubic meters. Therefore, one cubic mile is equal to 4.168 x 10⁹ cubic meters, or 4.168 x 10¹² liters.

Here are some common conversion factors for cubic miles:

• 1 mi³ = 4.168 x 10⁹ m³
• 1 mi³ = 4.168 x 10¹² L
• 1 mi³ = 1.101 trillion US gallons
• 1 mi³ = 916.872 billion UK gallons
• 1 mi³ = 147.198 billion ft³
• 1 mi³ = 5.452 billion yd³
• 1 mi³ = 6.29 billion barrels (oil)
• 1 mi³ = 3.379 million acre-feet

To convert from other units of volume to cubic miles, we need to use the inverse of these conversion factors. For example, to convert liters to cubic miles, we need to divide by 4.168 x 10¹².

Where Cubic Miles are Used

The cubic mile is a very large unit of volume that is mainly used to measure the volume of water in large bodies such as oceans, lakes, rivers and glaciers. For example, according to Wikipedia, the volume of water in all the oceans of the world is about 332.5 million mi³. The volume of water in Lake Superior, the largest freshwater lake by surface area in the world, is about 2900 mi³. The volume of water in the Mississippi River, the largest river by discharge in North America, is about 0.004 mi³/day.

The cubic mile is also used to measure the volume of some natural phenomena such as volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and landslides. For example, according to NASA, the volume of material ejected by the Mount St. Helens eruption in 1980 was about 0.24 mi³. The volume of rock displaced by the Great Chilean earthquake in 1960 was about 40 mi³. The volume of soil and rock involved in the Frank Slide in Alberta in 1903 was about 0.03 mi³.

Example Conversions of Cubic Miles to Other Units

Here are some examples of how to convert cubic miles to other units of volume using the conversion factors given above:

• 2 mi³ = 2 x 4.168 x 10⁹ m³ = 8.336 billion m³
• 3 mi³ = 3 x 4.168 x 10¹² L = 12.504 trillion L
• 4 mi³ = 4 x 1.101 trillion US gallons = 4.404 trillion US gallons
• 5 mi³ = 5 x 916.872 billion UK gallons = 4.584 trillion UK gallons
• 6 mi³ = 6 x 147.198 billion ft³ = 883.188 billion ft³
• 7 mi³ = 7 x 5.452 billion yd³ = 38.164 billion yd³
• 8 mi³ = 8 x 6.29 billion barrels (oil) = 50.32 billion barrels (oil)
• 9 mi³ = 9 x 3.379 million acre-feet = 30.411 million acre-feet

Conclusion

The cubic mile is a unit of volume that is equal to the volume of a cube that has a side length of one mile. It is mainly used to measure the volume of water in large bodies such as oceans, lakes, rivers and glaciers, as well as some natural phenomena such as volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and landslides. To convert cubic miles to other units of volume, we need to use conversion factors that relate the cubic mile to the desired unit.