Converting Geographic Coordinates from Degrees Minutes Seconds to Decimal Format

Описание: Learn how to effectively convert geographic coordinates from Degrees Minutes Seconds format to decimal format, enabling better data analysis and mapping.
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This video is based on the question https://stackoverflow.com/q/65757604/ asked by the user 'Justin Andrew' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/12981536/ ) and on the answer https://stackoverflow.com/a/65757989/ provided by the user 'jay.sf' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/6574038/ ) at 'Stack Overflow' website. Thanks to these great users and Stackexchange community for their contributions.

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Converting Geographic Coordinates from Degrees Minutes Seconds to Decimal Format

Geographic coordinates are essential for identifying specific locations on the Earth’s surface. They can be represented in various formats, with two widely used formats being Degrees Minutes Seconds (DMS) and decimal format. If you have CSV files containing geographic coordinates in DMS format without separators, you may want to convert these into a decimal format for easier analysis and mapping. In this guide, we will go through the problem of converting coordinates step by step, making it easier for you to understand the process.

The Problem: Understanding the Formats

What is Degrees Minutes Seconds (DMS)?

Degrees Minutes Seconds (DMS) format represents geographic coordinates in three parts:

Degrees (°): The whole number of degrees.

Minutes ('): The whole number of minutes.

Seconds ("): Decimal seconds.

For instance, 425319.3 can be read as:

42 degrees (the first two digits)

53 minutes (the next two digits)

19.3 seconds (the remaining digits)

Example CSV 1 - DMS Format without Separators

Here’s a snippet from a CSV containing DMS coordinates:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

In this dataset, latitudes and longitudes are represented in DMS format without clear separators.

Example CSV 2 - DMS with Directions

Another CSV might have coordinates in another DMS format, like this:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

This dataset contains directional indicators, making it also necessary to convert these values into decimal format.

The Solution: Parsing and Converting the Coordinates

Now, let’s explore how to perform these transformations using R programming functionalities.

Step 1: Converting Coordinates from DMS (CSV 1)

To convert the first dataset (CSV 1), we will use the substr function to extract degrees, minutes, and seconds based on their position in the string. Then, we'll convert these values into decimal format.

Code Implementation

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

This function breaks down the coordinate string and processes it to generate the decimal latitude and longitude.

Step 2: Converting Coordinates from DMS with Directions (CSV 2)

For the second dataset containing directional indicators (CSV 2), we will split the string on N, S, E, or W, and again use string manipulation to convert values into decimal format.

Code Implementation

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

This approach effectively parses each coordinate while adjusting the calculations to reflect the directional indicators.

Final Output

After running the respective scripts, you will generate the following results for both datasets in decimal format:

For CSV 1

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

For CSV 2

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Conclusion

In conclusion, converting geographic coordinates from DMS to decimal format can optimize navigation, data analysis, and mapping. With the approaches outlined in this guide, you'll have a clear pathway to convert and manipulate coordinates effectively. If you encounter datasets with different formats, consider adapting these methods accordingly.

By successfully transforming your geographic coordinates, you're now ready to analyze and visualize your data to its fullest potential.