Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center

What Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center does

Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center (ESSIC) is a university research center within the University of Maryland's College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences, established in 1999 through a cooperative agreement with NASA Goddard Space Flight Center's Earth Sciences Division. Headquartered in College Park, Maryland, ESSIC is home to more than 200 scientists working across weather, climate, ecology, and agriculture disciplines, conducting interdisciplinary research on the coupled atmosphere-ocean-land-biosphere system. Core research themes include Atmospheric Composition and Processes, the Global Carbon Cycle, Climate Variability and Change, and the Global Water Cycle, supported by foundational data products such as the Global Precipitation Climatology Project (1983-present), the World Ocean Database 2023, and the Greenland-Iceland-Norwegian Seas V3 regional climatology dataset.

ESSIC's technology base combines satellite remote sensing, climate and Earth system modeling, in-situ oceanographic analysis, and aircraft-based field campaigns (e.g., NASA ARCSIX). The center administers the Cooperative Institute for Satellite Earth System Studies (CISESS), a joint center with NOAA's National Environmental Satellite and Data Information Service (NESDIS), and runs the Climate Resilience Network in collaboration with other UMD units and Maryland state agencies. Research outputs are distributed through peer-reviewed journals (Nature, PNAS, Scientific Data, Journal of Geophysical Research), public repositories (NASA GES DISC, NOAA NCEI, Google Earth Engine), and direct engagement with state and local government partners.

ESSIC is not a commercial entity. It generates no product or service revenue and makes its research outputs freely available. Funding flows through NASA and NOAA cooperative agreements, University of Maryland institutional support, and competitive federal and philanthropic research grants. Primary "customers" are federal research agencies (NASA, NOAA), state and local government agencies (Maryland Department of the Environment, Maryland Department of Natural Resources), and the global academic research community.

Name

Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center

Legal name

Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center

Website

https://essic.umd.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ESSIC is a University of Maryland research center conducting interdisciplinary Earth system science—spanning atmosphere, oceans, land, and biosphere—through satellite observation, climate modeling, and field campaigns for NASA, NOAA, and Maryland state agencies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Earth System Science Research

NAICS

Geophysical Surveying and Mapping Services (54136)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Climate Target-Setting, Transition Planning & Performance Management Platforms (EUABAEAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

ESG, Sustainability & Impact Research (BPAHALAL)

Keywords

• Earth system science research
• Climate variability analysis
• Satellite remote sensing
• Atmospheric science research
• Oceanographic data products

Headquarters

HQ city

College Park

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. NASA Cooperative Agreement: ESSIC was established in 1999 through a cooperative agreement with the Earth Sciences Division at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center to support research, teaching and career training in Earth system science
2. NOAA Cooperative Institute: ESSIC administers the Cooperative Institute for Satellite Earth System Studies (CISESS), a joint center with NOAA's National Environmental Satellite and Data Information Service
3. University of Maryland Support: Core funding and institutional support from the University of Maryland College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences (CMNS)
4. Research Grants: Funding from various federal agencies including NASA, NOAA, and other research grants for specific research projects

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ESSIC conducts interdisciplinary Earth system science research combining satellite observations, climate modeling, atmospheric and oceanic science, and ecological research to understand relationships between Earth's atmosphere, oceans, land masses, and biosphere. The center produces foundational climate data products such as the Global Precipitation Climatology Project (GPCP) monthly and daily analyses and the World Ocean Database 2023, and supports evidence-based policymaking through partnerships with NASA, NOAA, and Maryland state agencies.

Product overview

ESSIC is a research center at the University of Maryland focused on Earth system science. The organization operates as a collection of research themes and collaborative initiatives rather than a commercial product company. Core research areas include Atmospheric Composition and Processes, The Global Carbon Cycle, Climate Variability and Change, and The Global Water Cycle. Key products and services include Global Precipitation Summaries (monthly and annual climate reports based on GPCP satellite observations), the World Ocean Database 2023 data resource, and the Climate Resilience Network initiative. ESSIC also administers CISESS, a joint center with NOAA, and operates the ESSIC Seminar Series for scientific education and outreach.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CISESS: Cooperative Institute for Satellite Earth System Studies - a joint center with NOAA's National Environmental Satellite and Data Information Service

Products and services

• Global Precipitation Summaries Monthly and annual analysis reports providing global precipitation data based on the Global Precipitation Climatology Project (GPCP), covering climate trends and anomaly patterns for climate researchers and operational forecasting users.
• World Ocean Database 2023 (WOD23) The world's most complete digital collection of near real-time and delayed-mode oceanographic in-situ profile measurements from ocean observing systems, containing approximately 18.6 million water column profiles with approximately 3.6 billion measurements of 27 physical and chemical variables across the 1772-2022 instrumental record.
• Greenland, Iceland, and Norwegian Seas (GINS) V3 Dataset Regional climatology product providing updated high-resolution temperature and salinity climatologies for climate variability assessment in the GINS region, based on the World Ocean Database 2023.
• Cooperative Institute for Satellite Earth System Studies (CISESS) Joint center with NOAA's National Environmental Satellite and Data Information Service supporting satellite Earth system research, data products, and operational applications for weather and climate prediction, administered by ESSIC.
• Climate Resilience Network UMD Grand Challenges–funded initiative unifying scientific expertise with decision-maker requirements to address climate change complexities in Maryland through community engagement and applied research.
• ESSIC Seminar Series Regular seminar program featuring internal and external speakers on Earth system science topics, providing scientific education and community engagement for researchers, students, and the public.

Quantifiable outcome

• Global Precipitation data record spanning 40+ years (1983-present) used for climate research worldwide
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Maryland Department of the EnvironmentflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010Since 2010, ESSIC researchers have led air quality policy modeling efforts in partnership with the Maryland Department of the Environment, using satellite observations, balloons, aircraft and ground-based instruments to inform air quality regulations.
• NASA Goddard Space Flight CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1999ESSIC was established in 1999 through a cooperative agreement with the Earth Sciences Division at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center to support research, teaching and career training in Earth system science. This is the founding partnership that established the center.
• NOAA National Environmental Satellite and Data Information Service (NESDIS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerESSIC administers the Cooperative Institute for Satellite Earth System Studies (CISESS), a joint center with NOAA NESDIS. This partnership supports satellite Earth system research, data products, and operational applications for weather and climate prediction.
• Climate Resilience Network (UMD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration among ESSIC, Marine Estuarine Environmental Sciences Graduate Program, and UMD's departments of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, Geology, and Geographical Sciences to apply current research to local Maryland issues and bridge the gap between academic research and practical application.
• NASA Goddard Space Flight CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research with NASA Goddard using NASA's computing resources and satellite data for modeling wetlands carbon flux, integrating aircraft measurements, ground observations, and machine learning-powered models.
• University of Maryland Center for Environmental ScienceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with UMD's Center for Environmental Science on wetlands research including barite precipitation studies and freshwater limnic sediment analysis.
• Yale UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner on the wetlands carbon removal study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
• Florida International UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaborator on the wetlands carbon removal study alongside other university partners.
• University of AlabamaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaborator on the wetlands carbon removal study published in PNAS.
• East Carolina UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner on wetlands greenhouse gas research with ESSIC scientists.
• European Geosciences UnionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCISESS scientists regularly participate in the EGU General Assembly, the largest annual geosciences conference in Europe with over 22,000 attendees.
• Simons FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunder of climate intervention research conducted by ESSIC scientist Lauren Zamora, supporting studies on aerosol-cloud interactions in the Arctic.
• Howard County ConservancyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner hosting Youth Climate Institute where ESSIC scientist Lauren Zamora spoke to teachers about Arctic research and climate intervention science education.
• NASA ARCSIXcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNASA's Arctic Radiation-Cloud-Aerosol-Surface-Interaction Experiment (ARCSIX) aircraft campaign in which ESSIC scientists including Lauren Zamora participated, studying how surface properties, clouds, aerosols, and precipitation impact Arctic summer radiation and sea ice melt.
• Robert H. Smith School of BusinessminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTim Canty is a faculty fellow at the Robert H. Smith School of Business Enterprise Risk Consortium, where he has created executive education and graduate programs in climate finance risk.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR): Federally funded research center advancing atmospheric and Earth system science, operating large-scale climate models and working directly with NASA/NOAA — comparable mission, sponsor mix, and research themes (precipitation, climate variability, atmospheric composition) to ESSIC.
• Scripps Institution of Oceanography: University of California San Diego's oceanography, atmospheric, and climate research center covering ocean observations, carbon cycle, and climate variability — direct overlap with ESSIC's Global Water Cycle, carbon cycle, and satellite oceanographic research.
• NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS): NASA's Earth-system modeling and climate research laboratory in New York conducting global climate model development and analysis of satellite and in-situ observations — directly comparable in mission and sponsor relationship to ESSIC.
• Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory: Columbia University's Earth science research arm covering climate, oceanography, atmospheric chemistry, and paleoclimate. Comparable interdisciplinary Earth-system research mix and university-housed research-center structure to ESSIC.
• Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere (CIRA): Colorado State University cooperative institute with NOAA focused on satellite observations, atmospheric science, and data assimilation. Shares ESSIC's NOAA cooperative institute structure and overlaps on satellite Earth-system research and data product development.
• Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS): University of Wisconsin cooperative institute jointly funded by NOAA focused on satellite meteorology and Earth observations. Operates the same cooperative-institute-with-NOAA model as ESSIC's CISESS, with overlapping satellite calibration and data product work.
• CIRES — Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences: University of Colorado Boulder cooperative institute jointly funded by NOAA conducting research in atmospheric, oceanic, cryospheric, and Earth-system science. Operates the same university-NOAA cooperative model with overlapping research themes around climate and Earth observation.
• NOAA Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL): NOAA's primary climate modeling lab developing Earth system models used for IPCC-class assessments. GFDL operates at the intersection of satellite data, climate modeling, and NOAA priorities — the same structural position ESSIC occupies through CISESS.

Broad incumbents

• NASA Goddard Space Flight Center: ESSIC's founding federal partner and primary sponsor; operates Earth-observation missions (GPM, MODIS) that ESSIC researchers depend on and contribute to. Far larger organization but the structurally closest entity — neither a peer nor a customer in the conventional sense.

Regional players

• Max Planck Institute for Meteorology: Germany-based climate modeling and Earth-system research institute with comparable mandate (global climate model development, Earth-system analysis). A peer in mission but primarily serves Europe rather than the US federal Earth-science market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/essicumd
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ESSICUMD
• Facebookfacebook.com/ESSICUMD
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/earth-system-science-interdisciplinary-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center