All Earth’s water
All Earth’s water includes the combined total of water in oceans, ice, groundwater, lakes, rivers and the atmosphere.
How big is it?
1.386 × 10⁹ km³ · volume
Volume · estimated
A little perspective
All Earth’s water vs Earth’s oceans: volume comparison
All Earth’s water has about 1.04 times the volume of Earth’s oceans.
All Earth’s water includes the combined total of water in oceans, ice, groundwater, lakes, rivers and the atmosphere.
Too small to see at this scale. The ring marks its true-scale position, not its volume. The shape has not been enlarged.
Earth’s oceans are the interconnected bodies of salt water that cover most of the planet’s surface.
Too small to see at this scale. The ring marks its true-scale position, not its volume. The shape has not been enlarged.
Measurements, assumptions & sources +
All Earth’s water
Volume: 1.386 × 10⁹ km³; estimated.
An estimate including oceans, ice, groundwater and other water stores. It is slightly larger than the ocean-only volume.
USGS — How much natural water is there?
The marked volume is calibrated. Unmeasured illustration details are representative.
Earth’s oceans
Volume: 1.338 × 10⁹ km³; estimated.
Estimated total ocean-water volume: 1.338 billion cubic kilometres. The diagram compares water volume, not ocean depth or surface area.
USGS — How much natural water is there?
The marked volume is calibrated. Unmeasured illustration details are representative.
Use the visual comparison to explore its scale, then check the measurements and sources.
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Why this measurement?
Why we use 1.386 × 10⁹ km³
We compare the volume of all Earth’s water. This is an estimate; check the notes for its rounding and uncertainty.
An estimate including oceans, ice, groundwater and other water stores. It is slightly larger than the ocean-only volume.
The picture identifies the subject; the diagram compares the recorded values. How calibrated comparisons work →
Recorded properties
Dimensions and measurements
| Property | Selected value | Recorded range | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.386 × 10⁹ km³ | Not recorded | estimated |
Around this scale
Explore nearby values.
Compare examples with lower, similar and higher values. Each card names the measurement being compared.
Nearest lower valuePlaces and natural featuresEarth’s oceans1.338 × 10⁹ km³VolumeEarth’s oceans are the interconnected bodies of salt water that cover most of the planet’s surface.
Around the same scalePlanets, moons and spaceCharon932,200,000 km³Spherical volumeCharon is a natural satellite of Pluto, composed mainly of rock and water ice.
Nearest higher valuePlanets, moons and spaceEris6.589 × 10⁹ km³VolumeEris is a dwarf planet in the scattered disc region beyond Neptune, composed of rock and ice.Sources and method
Want to check the number?
The source records and measurement method remain available for inspection.
- USGS — How much natural water is there?Estimated ocean volume 1.338 billion km³; total Earth water 1.386 billion km³.
More ways to see it
Curated comparisons
There’s always another scale
Follow your curiosity.
PlacesEarth’s oceans1.338 × 10⁹ km³Earth’s oceans are the interconnected bodies of salt water that cover most of the planet’s surface.
SpaceEarth12,740 kmEarth is the rocky planet on which we live and the third planet from the Sun.SpaceCharon1,212 kmCharon is a natural satellite of Pluto, composed mainly of rock and water ice.
SpaceCeres939.4 kmCeres is a dwarf planet located in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.
SpacePluto2,377 kmPluto is a dwarf planet in the Kuiper Belt, composed of rock and ice and orbiting the Sun.SpaceEris2,326 kmEris is a dwarf planet in the scattered disc region beyond Neptune, composed of rock and ice.
SpaceTriton2,705 kmTriton is a natural satellite of Neptune, with a retrograde orbit and a surface of frozen nitrogen.
SpaceEuropa3,122 kmEuropa is a natural satellite of Jupiter, with a smooth icy surface thought to cover a subsurface ocean.