About Whole Earth Systems Research

By its very nature, Earth system science is interdisciplinary. The whole Earth system is a sum of its parts, and comprehending it requires a broad understanding of how the atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and cryosphere interact.

At NCAR, The Institute for Integrative and Multidisciplinary Earth Studies (TIIMES) in the Earth & Sun Systems Laboratory brings many disciplines together to study these complex interactions. TIIMES leadership conducts and promotes Earth science research across disciplines so that new and current initiatives associated with multidisciplinary Earth studies can be fostered, grown, and integrated.

Highlighted Topics

• The ingredients of climate

  The atmosphere is where weather takes place. But it is just one component of an incredibly complex system that also encompasses the oceans, land surfaces, and other elements.

• Oceans and atmosphere

  Even in the middle of a continent, the sky overhead is profoundly influenced by the oceans. The atmosphere and ocean can be viewed as part of a single engine transporting heat and energy from the equator to the poles.

• Life, land use and atmosphere

  Trees, crops, urban development, and even soil can have surprising effects on our climate. Biogeoscience, a relatively new discipline, looks at the interactions among living organisms, Earth, and the atmosphere.

• Climate and the water cycle

  Water is intrinsic to the climate system, circulating continuously between Earth and the atmosphere. This enormously complex cycle is a central focus of climate research at NCAR.

• Climate and the cryosphere

  The cryosphere includes those parts of the world, both land and ocean, covered by snow and ice. These frozen regions have far-reaching effects on Earth’s climate, lowering global temperatures by reflecting sunlight back into space.