Cutting Up the Sky
To calculate weather, computers must divide the atmosphere into small boxes. Traditionally, we used latitude and longitude lines. This creates squares.
The Polar Problem
Look at a globe. The latitude lines get closer together at the North Pole. The squares shrink. This creates math errors called "singularities" at the poles. The computer wastes power calculating tiny squares in the Arctic.
The German Solution (ICON)
The German Weather Service (DWD) invented a model called ICON. Instead of squares, it covers the globe in triangles (an Icosahedral grid).
- Why it works: Triangles tessellate perfectly. They are the same size at the Equator and the North Pole.
- The Benefit: The wind flows naturally across the points of a triangle. It models "non-hydrostatic" flow (vertical wind) better than squares.
The Result
ICON is famous for predicting localized wind spikes and thunderstorms better than the square-grid models.
Grid Comparison
Traditional Grid
Latitude/Longitude squares
Problems at poles
ICON Grid
Icosahedral triangles
Uniform coverage
Summary
If you want to know about sudden storms or gusty fronts, look at the ICON model. Its triangular math handles chaos better.