Convert UTM

Converting from Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) to decimal degrees.

Michael Smith, 11 Aug 20922

Louis Zachos provided us with a table of locality data (as a csv file) for his sites in UTM format, some NAD27 and some NAD83.

I found a Python package that supports conversions between UTM and lat/long.  Using it, I wrote a simple program to read in a table with UTM coordinates, zones, and datums and expand it with latitude and longitude.  You can find the code here.  Python to convert UTM to GPS

It expects the data in particular column order but would be trivially modified to handle a different arrangement of columns.

Ed Bradford, 29 Jan 2018

We ran across a set of specimens that used UTM to describe their location. We used the process below to convert them.

Found the quads - note that this can be done using the search in the Texas Natural Resources Information System.

YH = Yellow Hill quadrangle
AF = Agua Fria quadrangle

Note that some of these quads have UTM grids on them which can be confusing.  Many of these are in a shorthand.  E.g. 2195 on the Yellow Hill Quad is actaully UTM coordinate 621,950.  The grid lines show 23...32.  So getting the right quad is critical - you can't just use a universal UTM converter.  See the link to TX Natural Resources Information System above.

To convert from Moore's UTM notation (e.g. 3200/5380) to decimal degrees use:

  1. iPhone App "Coordinates" or
  2. Liath's site for conversion or
  3. ConvertUTMNoOZ

and Google or BING maps to put each point on a map to verify correctness.

The following are records in the Specify database. Record #'s without UTM info are ditto's of the previous record with UTM information.

UT Collection Catalog #Gordon Moore's UTM notation, QuadLat/Lon
00051751UTM 5936/2482, YH29.141929,-103.361735
00051570UTM 2195/6368, YH29.496726,-103.741937
00051745
00051746
00051747
00051748
00051749
00051860UTM 2132/6404, AF29.500036,-103.748395
00051757UTM 2178/6402, AF29.499811,-103.743652
00051785
00051758
00051756
00051769UTM 2200/6389, YH29.498616,-103.741397
00051765
00051766
00051767
00051768
00051764UTM 2222/6393, AF29.498956,-103.739124
00051801
00051798
00051800
00051763UTM 2232/6404, AF29.499938,-103.73808
00051863
00051760
00051761
00051762
00051862
00051822UTM 2336/6429, AF29.502092,-103.727325
00051861UTM 2350/6320, YH29.492243,-103.726004
00051759UTM 2424/5901, YH29.454363,-103.718847
00051772UTM 2424/5923, YH29.456348,-103.718822
00051711
00051784UTM 2430/5959, YH29.456348,-103.718163
00051782
00051783
00051773UTM 2450/5923, YH29.456372,-103.721297
00051770
00051739UTM 3200/5380, YH29.40656,-103.639472



Last edit: 14 Jul 2018