Convert Liter (L, l) to Gigaliter (GL) instantly.
About these units
Liter (L, l)
The liter is one of the most widely used units of volume worldwide, defined as the volume of a cube measuring 10 centimeters on each side, making 1 L = 1,000 cubic centimeters = 1 cubic decimeter. Despite not being an SI base unit, it is fully accepted for use with the SI system due to its universal practicality. The liter occupies a sweet spot: large enough to measure beverages, fuel, and household liquids, yet small enough for precise laboratory use. Its intuitive scale simplifies everyday tasks—recipes, medical dosages, aquarium capacities, and fuel economy are all naturally expressed in liters. In science, the liter's alignment with the metric system makes it indispensable for expressing fluid volumes, solution concentrations (L in mol/L), and gas quantities under standard conditions. Industrial systems use liters for chemical processing, water treatment, and food production, making it a cornerstone of modern volume measurement.
Gigaliter (GL)
A gigaliter equals one billion liters or one million cubic meters. It is widely used when discussing very large natural or artificial water systems. Countries quantify national water reserves, lake capacities, and large-scale water transfers in gigaliters. For example, major reservoirs, such as those used for hydroelectric power generation, often have volumes in the tens of gigaliters. Environmental scientists use GL to describe groundwater extraction, rainfall totals across large regions, and freshwater availability. The GL helps quantify planetary-scale hydrological processes in a manageable numerical range.