Videos

At CIRES, the Cooperative Institute for Research In Environmental Sciences, hundreds of environmental scientists work to understand the dynamic Earth system, including people’s relationship with the planet. CIRES is a partnership of NOAA and the University of Colorado Boulder, and our areas of expertise include weather and climate, changes at Earth’s poles, air quality and atmospheric chemistry, water resources, and solid Earth sciences.

The United States could slash greenhouse gas emissions from electric power production by up to 78 percent within 15 years while meeting increased demand, according to a new study by NOAA and CIRES researchers.

A new study of snow and ice layers high on the Greenland ice sheet shows that recent atmospheric warming is changing the ability of these layers - called firn - to store meltwater, which can result in a faster release of runoff from the ice sheet.

University of Colorado Boulder researchers and students are shrinking satellites, figuring out how to collect critical Earth observations at a lower cost and to more effectively track environmental changes. 

CIRES scientists at the Western Water Assessment study the effect that dust emissions have on Colorado's snow pack and on the Colorado River.

CIRES has been a leader in Earth science research for the past 45 years. Check out this retrospective video featuring three former CIRES directors.

Alaska's northern coastline is eroding at rates as high as 30 meters (100 feet) per year. This time-lapse video shows that incredible erosion process between June 26 and July 27, 2008. 

CIRES scientists study how oil and natural gas production on Colorado's Front Range contribute to the formation of ozone.

Scientists from CIRES and NOAA and colleagues from dozens of other institutions took a detailed look at the natural and manmade emissions that affect air quality in the Southeast. 

A CIRES and NASA study examines why many glaciers in the Alps abruptly retreated around 1860, although temperatures at the time were relatively cool.