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Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center University of Maryland College Park, MD 301-405-2147 Dr. Phillip A. Arkin, Director http://essic.umd.edu/cics

Cooperative Institute for Climate Studies (CICS) at the University of Maryland College Park

The Cooperative Institute for Climate Studies (CICS) at the University of Maryland College Park was established in 1984 as a collaboration among the University and the NOAA National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service and National Weather Service improve understanding of how the atmosphere, ocean, land and biosphere interact as coupled components of the Earth System and how human activities influence this system. From its inception, the purposes of CICS have been to:

• Foster collaborative research between NOAA and the University in studies of satellite climatology, climate diagnostics, modeling and prediction.
• Serve as a center at which scientists and engineers working on problems of mutual interest may focus on studies contributing to the understanding of the earth-ocean-atmosphere climate system, climate modeling, climate prediction, and satellite climatology.
• Stimulate the training of scientists and engineers in appropriate disciplines in the atmospheric sciences.

CICS has three research themes:

1. Global Energy and Water Cycles
2. Climate Diagnostics and Prediction
3. Atmospheric Chemistry

CICS is administered by the Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, which concentrates on four major research areas that are well aligned with the CICS themes: climate variability and change; atmospheric composition and processes; the global carbon cycle (including terrestrial and marine ecosystems/land use/cover change); and the global water cycle. CICS scientists obtain and integrate satellite observations of the Earth System, and develop and apply models of widely varying complexity to understand the behavior of the system and to predict its future.  This multi-pronged approach provides a foundation for understanding and forecasting changes in the global environment and regional implications.

During the first five years of the current cooperative agreement (2001 – 2006), CICS scientists have conducted collaborative research on roughly 50 separate tasks, with more than 150 journal publications during that period.  CICS funding has grown from about $500,000 in 2001 to more than $4,000,000 in 2006, with a comparable growth in the scientific staff.  CICS currently has about 25 principal investigators.  CICS underwent scientific and administrative 5-year reviews near the end of 2005 and received a strong endorsement of its success and recommendations for continuation.  CICS contributes to the Climate, Satellite Mission Support, Weather and Water, and Ecosystem NOAA Mission Goals, and the CICS mission and vision are consistent with the NOAA Research Plan and Vision.

Much more detail on CICS projects and scientists can be found in the CICS Review document.

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