The Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center is a joint center between the UMD Departments of Atmospheric and Oceanic Science, Geology, and Geographical Sciences. ESSIC was initiated under a Cooperative Agreement with the Earth Sciences Directorate at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)’s Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), the collaboration under which continues to today. ESSIC also administers the Cooperative Institute for Satellite Earth System Studies (CISESS), which is a joint center with the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) and the National Environmental Satellite and Data Information Service (NESDIS).