Convert Kiloton (Metric) (kt) to Petagram (Pg) instantly.
About these units
Kiloton (Metric) (kt)
A kiloton, equal to 1,000 metric tons, is used in large-scale industrial, geological, and agricultural contexts. However, the term is better known for expressing explosive yields, particularly of nuclear weapons. Scientists estimate the energy release of explosions by comparing them to the detonation of 1,000 tons of TNT. For example, the Hiroshima bomb had a yield of about 15 kilotons. Outside military contexts, kilotons appear in discussions of carbon emissions, waste production, and global resource extraction. They provide a manageable scale for describing quantities too large for tons but not yet at the megaton level.
Petagram (Pg)
A petagram, equal to 10¹² kilograms, is used almost exclusively in global environmental science and earth system modeling. Planetary-scale carbon budgets—for example, the total carbon stored in Earth's soils or forests—are expressed in petagrams. The Amazon rainforest alone holds on the order of 100 Pg of carbon. Using petagrams helps researchers track changes in Earth's climate balance and evaluate feedback loops in the carbon cycle.