Category: Processing and quality
UTM (Universal Transverse Mercator)
UTM is a projected coordinate system that divides Earth into zones, allowing measurements in meters.
Also known as: UTM zone
Expanded definition
UTM projections are commonly used for local or regional analytics because distances and areas behave sensibly in meters.
UTM is zone-based. Using the wrong zone or mixing zones can cause misalignment. Many EO workflows reproject into the correct local UTM zone for measurement and keep WGS84 lat/lon for interchange.
Related terms
CRS (Coordinate Reference System)
A CRS defines how coordinates map to locations on Earth, including the projection and datum.
EPSG Code
An EPSG code is a numeric identifier for a CRS, such as EPSG:4326 for WGS84 latitude/longitude.
WGS84
WGS84 is a global geographic coordinate system commonly used for latitude and longitude.
Reprojection
Reprojection converts data from one coordinate reference system (CRS) to another.