A man in winter clothes carefully drips water from a syringe into a test tube. Snowy mountains and pine trees are in the background

Our goal is to improve the ability to predict human-caused global climate change and identify the most promising ways to curb it. We envision a future where society can make informed decisions about the sustainable use of our planet’s resources based on advanced knowledge of the integrated Earth system.

 A scientist in a head net working on the Alaskan tundra while being swarmed by mosquitos

CESD research ranges from studying how soils and agriculture will react to a warming world; to untangling the forces affecting watersheds like the Colorado River Basin; to creating cutting-edge climate models to predict the weather of the future.

 Three people with two leashed dogs look at a metal structure in a grassy field with trees and mountains in the background

CESD scientists collaborate with a wide range of partners and stakeholders to inform their research and increase its impact. Our work bridges private and public sectors, academia and government, and scientists and non-scientists alike.