Established in 1967, CIRES is a joint institute of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the University of Colorado Boulder. It is the largest of NOAA's institutes nationwide. As a world leader in environmental sciences, CIRES conducts groundbreaking research into all aspects of the Earth system, including the hydrosphere, biosphere, geosphere, atmosphere, and cryosphere. Situated in Boulder, Colorado, at the foot of the Flatirons rock formations, CIRES supports more than 500 scientists, nearly 180 graduate and undergraduate students, five research centers, and two programs, the Western Water Assessment and Education & Outreach. CIRES researchers are committed to identifying and pursuing innovative research in Earth system science and fostering public awareness of these processes to ensure a sustainable future environment. Get more of the CIRES experience by also following us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/CIRESnews) and Twitter (@theCIRESwire).SpecialtiesDivisions: Cryospheric and Polar Processes; Ecosystem Science; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Observations, Modeling, and Forecasting; Solid Earth Sciences; and Weather and Climate Dynamics. Interdisciplinary centers: Climate Diagnostics Center; Center for Limnology; Center for Science and Technology Policy Research; National Snow and Ice Data Center; and Earth Science and Observation Center. Programs: Western Water Assessment and Education & Outreach.