A cubic foot per second (cfs) is a unit of flow rate that describes the volume of water or other fluids moving past a point every second. It is commonly used in hydrology to measure rivers and streams, providing insight into water availability and flood prediction. To put it in perspective, one cubic foot per second is equivalent to 7.48 gallons per second. Thus, a modest stream might flow at several tens of cfs, while larger rivers, such as the Mississippi, can exceed 500,000 cfs!
Interestingly, this unit has historical significance dating back to the early days of water management, where it played a crucial role in the development of infrastructure for agriculture and urban planning, influencing patterns of settlement and economic development around the world.
The cubic kilometer per second (km³/s) is an immense unit of volumetric flow rate, often used to describe the colossal discharges from natural phenomena like volcanic eruptions or catastrophic floods. To put it into perspective, consider that the entire flow of the Amazon River, the largest river by discharge volume in the world, averages about 0.21 km³/s. This staggering volume showcases the incredible power and scale inherent in natural water and magma systems.
Such massive flow rates are not commonly encountered in everyday scenarios, making this unit indispensable for geologists and hydrologists attempting to quantify and model the transport and dispersal of water or magma over large geographic areas. Understanding these flows can be crucial for mitigating the impacts of natural disasters.
| Cubic feet per second | Cubic kilometers per second |
|---|---|
0
ft³/s
|
0
km³/s
|
1
ft³/s
|
2.83168e-11
km³/s
|
2
ft³/s
|
5.66337e-11
km³/s
|
3
ft³/s
|
8.49505e-11
km³/s
|
4
ft³/s
|
1.13267e-10
km³/s
|
5
ft³/s
|
1.41584e-10
km³/s
|
6
ft³/s
|
1.69901e-10
km³/s
|
7
ft³/s
|
1.98218e-10
km³/s
|
8
ft³/s
|
2.26535e-10
km³/s
|
9
ft³/s
|
2.54851e-10
km³/s
|
10
ft³/s
|
2.83168e-10
km³/s
|
11
ft³/s
|
3.11485e-10
km³/s
|
12
ft³/s
|
3.39802e-10
km³/s
|
13
ft³/s
|
3.68119e-10
km³/s
|
14
ft³/s
|
3.96436e-10
km³/s
|
15
ft³/s
|
4.24752e-10
km³/s
|
16
ft³/s
|
4.53069e-10
km³/s
|
17
ft³/s
|
4.81386e-10
km³/s
|
18
ft³/s
|
5.09703e-10
km³/s
|
19
ft³/s
|
5.38020e-10
km³/s
|
20
ft³/s
|
5.66337e-10
km³/s
|
21
ft³/s
|
5.94653e-10
km³/s
|
22
ft³/s
|
6.2297e-10
km³/s
|
23
ft³/s
|
6.51287e-10
km³/s
|
24
ft³/s
|
6.79604e-10
km³/s
|
25
ft³/s
|
7.07921e-10
km³/s
|
26
ft³/s
|
7.36238e-10
km³/s
|
27
ft³/s
|
7.64554e-10
km³/s
|
28
ft³/s
|
7.92871e-10
km³/s
|
29
ft³/s
|
8.21188e-10
km³/s
|
30
ft³/s
|
8.49505e-10
km³/s
|
31
ft³/s
|
8.77822e-10
km³/s
|
32
ft³/s
|
9.06139e-10
km³/s
|
33
ft³/s
|
9.34455e-10
km³/s
|
34
ft³/s
|
9.62772e-10
km³/s
|
35
ft³/s
|
9.91089e-10
km³/s
|
36
ft³/s
|
1.01941e-9
km³/s
|
37
ft³/s
|
1.04772e-9
km³/s
|
38
ft³/s
|
1.07604e-9
km³/s
|
39
ft³/s
|
1.10436e-9
km³/s
|
40
ft³/s
|
1.13267e-9
km³/s
|
41
ft³/s
|
1.16099e-9
km³/s
|
42
ft³/s
|
1.18931e-9
km³/s
|
43
ft³/s
|
1.21762e-9
km³/s
|
44
ft³/s
|
1.24594e-9
km³/s
|
45
ft³/s
|
1.27426e-9
km³/s
|
46
ft³/s
|
1.30257e-9
km³/s
|
47
ft³/s
|
1.33089e-9
km³/s
|
48
ft³/s
|
1.35921e-9
km³/s
|
49
ft³/s
|
1.38752e-9
km³/s
|
50
ft³/s
|
1.41584e-9
km³/s
|
51
ft³/s
|
1.44416e-9
km³/s
|
52
ft³/s
|
1.47248e-9
km³/s
|
53
ft³/s
|
1.50079e-9
km³/s
|
54
ft³/s
|
1.52911e-9
km³/s
|
55
ft³/s
|
1.55743e-9
km³/s
|
56
ft³/s
|
1.58574e-9
km³/s
|
57
ft³/s
|
1.61406e-9
km³/s
|
58
ft³/s
|
1.64238e-9
km³/s
|
59
ft³/s
|
1.67069e-9
km³/s
|
60
ft³/s
|
1.69901e-9
km³/s
|
61
ft³/s
|
1.72733e-9
km³/s
|
62
ft³/s
|
1.75564e-9
km³/s
|
63
ft³/s
|
1.78396e-9
km³/s
|
64
ft³/s
|
1.81228e-9
km³/s
|
65
ft³/s
|
1.84059e-9
km³/s
|
66
ft³/s
|
1.86891e-9
km³/s
|
67
ft³/s
|
1.89723e-9
km³/s
|
68
ft³/s
|
1.92554e-9
km³/s
|
69
ft³/s
|
1.95386e-9
km³/s
|
70
ft³/s
|
1.98218e-9
km³/s
|
71
ft³/s
|
2.01050e-9
km³/s
|
72
ft³/s
|
2.03881e-9
km³/s
|
73
ft³/s
|
2.06713e-9
km³/s
|
74
ft³/s
|
2.09545e-9
km³/s
|
75
ft³/s
|
2.12376e-9
km³/s
|
76
ft³/s
|
2.15208e-9
km³/s
|
77
ft³/s
|
2.18040e-9
km³/s
|
78
ft³/s
|
2.20871e-9
km³/s
|
79
ft³/s
|
2.23703e-9
km³/s
|
80
ft³/s
|
2.26535e-9
km³/s
|
81
ft³/s
|
2.29366e-9
km³/s
|
82
ft³/s
|
2.32198e-9
km³/s
|
83
ft³/s
|
2.35030e-9
km³/s
|
84
ft³/s
|
2.37861e-9
km³/s
|
85
ft³/s
|
2.40693e-9
km³/s
|
86
ft³/s
|
2.43525e-9
km³/s
|
87
ft³/s
|
2.46356e-9
km³/s
|
88
ft³/s
|
2.49188e-9
km³/s
|
89
ft³/s
|
2.52020e-9
km³/s
|
90
ft³/s
|
2.54851e-9
km³/s
|
91
ft³/s
|
2.57683e-9
km³/s
|
92
ft³/s
|
2.60515e-9
km³/s
|
93
ft³/s
|
2.63347e-9
km³/s
|
94
ft³/s
|
2.66178e-9
km³/s
|
95
ft³/s
|
2.69010e-9
km³/s
|
96
ft³/s
|
2.71842e-9
km³/s
|
97
ft³/s
|
2.74673e-9
km³/s
|
98
ft³/s
|
2.77505e-9
km³/s
|
99
ft³/s
|
2.80337e-9
km³/s
|
100
ft³/s
|
2.83168e-9
km³/s
|
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