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.

Last edit: 14 Jul 2018