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Metres east and north of a false origin.
Also known as: Universal Transverse Mercator reference, UTM coordinate
The reference giving a position as a zone, an easting and a northing in metres on a projected grid.
Gives a position as metres east and north within a numbered projection zone.
Contexts: Navigation, Maps
Measures in metres on a flat grid rather than in degrees on a sphere, so distances can be computed by subtraction — which is why it is used for survey and military work and not for navigation across zones.
Contexts: Navigation, Maps
Breaks at zone boundaries: two points a kilometre apart in different zones have references that cannot be compared directly, which is the scheme's defining limitation.
Contexts: Navigation, Maps
A zone number and hemisphere letter followed by a six-digit easting and a seven-digit northing, written in metres.
A projected grid measures metres on a flat surface; a graticule measures degrees on a curved one, and a map may carry both.