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0558253.7 13083091W

The data came in a csv file which was then converted to an xlsx file in Excel. No mention of original coordinate system, and the fields were just named - "LATITUDE" and "LONGITUDE, respectively.

It doesn't look like Decimal Degrees (DD), Degrees Decimal Minutes (DDM), or Degrees Minutes Seconds (DMS), and I don't think it's any of the single field notations like MGRS.

Data is originally from the Alaska Department of Natural Resources (DNR) provided as a csv.

The problem isn't finding the right coordinate system, but rather the notation used to represent the coordinates. For example, DMS, DD, or DDM.

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    It could be Alaska State Plane, WGS84 UTM Zone 3 to 7 North or NAD... just about anything! Try a bit harder to get the information from the custodian, there's usually a metadata statement which contains all sorts of important information, if you can't find that then contact them and if they really don't know take a punt and see how the data lines up with known to be accurate data, if it's not good try another one until it does line up... be sure to put that on your end product though 'data assumed to be XXXX' as a disclaimer.
    – Michael Stimson
    Commented Sep 2, 2015 at 21:50
  • @MichaelMiles-Stimson The problem isn't trying out coordinate systems/projections, but what notation the coordinates are represented in.
    – geominded
    Commented Sep 2, 2015 at 21:57
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    Do you have any idea what location the data represents? That is, city, lake, intersection...Using that, someone can try out different coordinate systems used in the area to see if there's a match.
    – mkennedy
    Commented Sep 2, 2015 at 22:44

2 Answers 2

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My guess is that

0558253.7 13083091W

translates to

055.82537°N 130.83091°W

which are decimal degrees lat and long, or

55° 49' 31.3" N and 130° 49' 51.3" W in deg-min-sec,

located somewhere in the Alaska panhandle.

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  • My first guess was (obviously) metres or feet in UTM but I think you're got a good point... after all why would they go to the trouble of writing the leading 0 unless it actually means something. One guess is as good as the other without evidence and it's just a matter of trying a few until one fits - much less annoying to contact the agency directly and ask but sometimes the information just isn't available.
    – Michael Stimson
    Commented Sep 2, 2015 at 23:01
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I'd guess that they meant Northing/Easting (linear units like meters or feet) instead of Lat/Long (angular units like DMS).

I would have assumed some kind of packed DMS.s but 82 minutes doesn't exist.

I am assuming that there is no metadata.

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