Detailed Geographic Coordinates and UTM System of Latitude, Longitude, Altitude, and the UTM System

5.2 Latitude

Latitude is defined as the angular distance of a specific point on the Earth's surface relative to the Equator. According to IGN (2022), these values can range between $0^\circ$ and $90^\circ$. Latitude is measured toward the North or the South of the terrestrial Equator. One of its primary characteristics is that it is the angular distance, expressed in degrees, minutes, and seconds, from the terrestrial Equator to any point on the surface. Parallels are established by geographic latitude, which is obtained through the intersection of the terrestrial surface with a plane perpendicular to the Earth's rotation axis. A fundamental rule is that all locations situated on the same parallel share the identical latitude value. The measurement is taken starting from the Equator at $0^\circ 0' 0"$ up to the maximum latitude at the North and South poles, which is $90^\circ$. This coordinate system is based on imaginary lines that originate from the terrestrial Equator. By taking the terrestrial Equator as a reference, points located in the Boreal or Septentrional hemisphere have North latitude, while points situated in the Austral or Meridional hemisphere have South latitude.

5.3 Longitude

Longitude is the angular distance existing between any point on the terrestrial surface and the Greenwich Meridian. As per IGN (2022), it can take values between $0^\circ$ and $180^\circ$, and it is measured from East to West. When the different values of each coordinate intersect, they allow for the exact localization of any point on the terrestrial surface; however, positional information is considered incomplete without the inclusion of a third coordinate called altitude. Longitude is characterized as the angular distance in degrees, minutes, and seconds from the Greenwich Meridian to any point on the surface. All locations situated on the same meridian share the same longitude. The antimeridian, located at $180^\circ$, is the opposite line that completes the terrestrial circumference. Longitude ranges from $0^\circ$ to $180^\circ$ both to the East and West of Greenwich. This system is based on meridians, which are imaginary lines that join the poles and cut the terrestrial Equator. The Greenwich Meridian (noted as Greennick in diagrams) corresponds to $0^\circ$ longitude. Points located to the west have occidental longitude, while those to the east have oriental longitude.

5.4 Altitude

Altitude is a geographic coordinate that serves as a vital complement to latitude and longitude. It is measured vertically with respect to the mean sea level, and according to the Geophysical Institute of Peru (IGP, 2026), its values are expressed in meters. Altitude is defined as the vertical distance relative to the medium sea level, designated as $0\,\text{m s.n.m.}$. This coordinate can be positive when a location is above the level of the sea or negative when it is below it. Meters are the standard unit of expression for this measurement. Specifically, Mount Everest possesses a positive altitude of $8848\,\text{m s.n.m.}$ and is located on the border of China and Nepal. The Dead Sea Depression has a negative altitude of approximately $430\,\text{m b.n.m.}$. The surface of the Dead Sea sits at $400\,\text{m}$ below the level of the sea, with the body of water measuring $75\,\text{km}$ in length and $15\,\text{km}$ in width, involving high water salinity. The Mariana Trench represents the maximum known oceanic depth at approximately $-11000\,\text{m}$, identified as the deepest point on the planet; its historical records note the presence of plastics as early as 1989.

5.5 Universal Transversal de Mercator (UTM) System

The Universal Transversal de Mercator (UTM) system is a cartographic projection system designed to transform the Earth's curved surface into a flat representation. Per Arista Sur (2014), this system divides the world into specific zones to facilitate the precise localization of geographic objects. One of its principal characteristics is the Transversal Mercator projection, which is a conformal cylindrical projection used extensively in cartography and navigation. This projection allows for the conservation of angles and shapes in small geographic areas. In this specific application, the cylinder is projected transversally to the terrestrial axis. The Earth is divided into $60$ longitudinal husos or spindles. Each of these spindles is $6'$ wide and they are numbered from $1$ to $60$ starting from the $180^\circ$ meridian and proceeding toward the East.