Convert Cubic Kilometer (km³) to Megaliter (ML) instantly.
About these units
Cubic Kilometer (km³)
A cubic kilometer represents one billion cubic meters, making it a colossal volume unit used in geology, hydrology, glaciology, and planetary science. Large lakes, ice sheets, magma chambers, and atmospheric water content are often measured in km³. Earth's total ocean volume—about 1.335 billion km³—illustrates the unit's utility in describing planetary-scale systems. The km³ gives scientists a manageable number when dealing with natural features too massive for cubic meters or liters to express conveniently.
Megaliter (ML)
A megaliter is one million liters, equivalent to 1,000 cubic meters. It is used in large-scale water management, including municipal supply systems, reservoirs, agricultural irrigation planning, and hydroengineering. City planners and hydrologists often express daily water consumption in megaliters per day (ML/day). For example, a medium-sized city might use anywhere from 50 to several hundred ML daily. The unit is especially helpful because it bridges the gap between the cubic meter (too small for city-scale usage) and the gigaliter (too large for many practical applications). As water scarcity and climate resilience become critical global issues, the megaliter continues to be a foundational measurement in environmental science and infrastructure planning.