use `separate()` function from {tidyr} to split a variable

separate_lat_lon.R

# OBJECTIVE: 
# * latitude and longitude stored with degrees with degree symbol and minutes with decimal
# * separate into two columns for each, with degrees and minutes separated

# step 1 - create a test tibble called "geo_loc"
geo_loc <- tribble( ~ latitude, ~ longitude,
                    "48º 4.206", "124º 45.553",
                    "46º 59.4942", "124º 12.6362")
# ---
# step 2 - split into degrees and minutes columns

# use the `separate()` function from {tidyr}  https://tidyr.tidyverse.org/reference/separate.html
# note that the "sep =" argument has the degree symbol and the space

geo_loc %>% 
  tidyr::separate(latitude, into = c("lat_deg", "lat_min"), sep = "º ") %>% 
  # same function, but note the `remove =` argument to keep the source column
  tidyr::separate(longitude, into = c("lon_deg", "lon_min"), sep = "º ", remove = FALSE)