Earth’s oceans
Earth’s oceans are the interconnected bodies of salt water that cover most of the planet’s surface.
How big is it?
1.338 × 10⁹ km³ · volume
Volume · estimated
A little perspective
Earth’s oceans vs All Earth’s water: volume comparison
All Earth’s water has about 1.04 times the volume of Earth’s oceans.
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.
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.
Measurements, assumptions & sources +
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.
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.
Use the visual comparison to explore its scale, then check the measurements and sources.
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Why this measurement?
Why we use 1.338 × 10⁹ km³
We compare the volume of Earth’s oceans. This is an estimate; check the notes for its rounding and uncertainty.
Estimated total ocean-water volume: 1.338 billion cubic kilometres. The diagram compares water volume, not ocean depth or surface area.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.338 × 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 valuePlanets, moons and spaceCharon932,200,000 km³Spherical volumeCharon is a natural satellite of Pluto, composed mainly of rock and water ice.
Nearest higher valuePlaces and natural featuresAll Earth’s water1.386 × 10⁹ km³VolumeAll Earth’s water includes the combined total of water in oceans, ice, groundwater, lakes, rivers and the atmosphere.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.
SpaceEarth12,740 kmEarth is the rocky planet on which we live and the third planet from the Sun.
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PlacesA cubic-kilometre lake1 km³A cubic-kilometre lake is a hypothetical body of freshwater defined as containing exactly one cubic kilometre of water.PlacesAll Earth’s water1.386 × 10⁹ km³All Earth’s water includes the combined total of water in oceans, ice, groundwater, lakes, rivers and the atmosphere.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.