---
# System prepended metadata

title: Grid files
tags: [icon4py, scratchpad]

---

# Grid files 
In the ICON world there are two grid file generators, one by DWD (described in the ICON tutorial) that produces Icosahedral grids. Those grids are published here: [DWD grids](http://icon-downloads.mpimet.mpg.de/dwd_grids.xml)

And one by MPI-M ([code](https://gitlab.dkrz.de/mpim-sw/grid-generator) ) which produces icosahedral and torus grid files. Those grids (icosahedron) are published here: [MPI-M grids](http://icon-downloads.mpimet.mpg.de/mpim_grids.xml)

The produced grid files have a couple of differences which range from different attributes to different units of some fields and are listed below;



| Field, attribute                     | DWD (sphere)   | MPI-M (sphere) | MPI-M (Torus) | remark           |
|:------------------------------------ |:-------------- |:-------------- | ------------- | ---------------- |
| dimensions:cell_delauney             | y              | missing        |               | not used in ICON |
| dimensions:vert_delauney             | y              | missing        |               | not used in ICON |
| dimensions: max_stored_decomposition | missing        | y               |               |                  |
| variables: cell_are                  | unit:steradian | unit: m2       |               |                  |
|                                      |                |                |               |                  |
|                                      |                |                |               |                  |
|                                      |                |                |               |                  |
|                                      |                |                |               |                  |
|                                      |                |                |               |                  |

