WebGCM
gcm.echorelay.net- Category
- Education
- Rank
- No. 179Apps board
Previous survey · No. 155 ·
- Type
- TOOL
- Date
About
A browser climate-model project with WebGPU lessons that let readers change an input and observe a model response. It also documents a global atmospheric simulation.
At a glance
WebGCM combines a browser climate simulation with interactive lessons about how air and oceans move. Start with the lessons if you want to understand the mechanisms behind weather maps. The full globe computes a simulated atmosphere and ocean on your device; it should not be used as a forecast of today's weather.
Good fit
Curious readers and technical learners who want to change a physical input and see its consequences. In the Air lesson, lifting a parcel from the surface to 1 km changed its displayed temperature from 15.0°C to 5.3°C; lowering it restored the starting values. That makes expansion and cooling inspectable before you confront the full planetary model.
Consider something else when
You need local weather predictions, validated climate projections for a decision, or a lightweight animation that starts without a substantial data download. A responsive lesson is not evidence that the complete climate model reproduces observed climate accurately.
Start here
From the homepage, choose How WebGCM works and start with Part 1: Air. Move Lift the parcel to upward, compare the pressure and temperature readouts, then return it to zero. If that explanation suits you, Open the climate model leads to the larger simulation. Its documented controls switch between Satellite, Atmosphere and Ocean views; use the overlays to inspect fields rather than treating the globe as live observations.
Cost and requirements
The public lesson trial needed no account, payment or installation. The full model prefers a browser with WebGPU and documents a slower CPU fallback. Its landing page advertises initial saved-state downloads of about 244 MB on desktop and 62 MB on mobile, with device-dependent resolution. Allow storage and startup time; these are published figures, not measured download or performance results from the trial.
Limits to know
Hands-on testing covered one air-parcel lesson, not the full globe or its scientific accuracy. The model starts from saved simulations. Downloaded runs and custom snapshots use this browser's IndexedDB storage; clearing site data can remove them. Snapshots can be exported and imported through the documented controls, but that workflow was not tested.
Sources checked 2026-11-05. Source-based assessment.
- gcm.echorelay.net
- github.com/jlhawn/geodesic/blob/935d35221ed2b08d26849e312d37f70032f05a5f/README.md
- github.com/jlhawn/geodesic/blob/935d35221ed2b08d26849e312d37f70032f05a5f/package.json
- github.com/jlhawn/geodesic/blob/935d35221ed2b08d26849e312d37f70032f05a5f/js/deviceChoice.module.js
- github.com/jlhawn/geodesic/blob/935d35221ed2b08d26849e312d37f70032f05a5f/js/snapshots.module.js
- github.com/jlhawn/geodesic/blob/935d35221ed2b08d26849e312d37f70032f05a5f/climate.html
- github.com/jlhawn/geodesic/blob/935d35221ed2b08d26849e312d37f70032f05a5f/js/climate.module.js
- gcm.echorelay.net/explain/air
Why it made the leaderboard
The interactive lessons help readers explore relationships such as how air pressure changes with height. Use them to build intuition about the model.
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Editorially curated, with community endorsements as a secondary signal. Corrections welcome.