About
Background
The Earth System Research Laboratories (ESRL) is an alliance of four NOAA scientific labs, all located in the David Skaggs Research Center on the Department of Commerce campus in Boulder, Colorado.
Organized under NOAA's Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, and guided by the NOAA Boulder Executive Council, NOAA's four Earth System Research Laboratories work together to advance scientific observations, modeling, and predictability of weather, climate, air quality, and water resources to strengthen our nation's economy, and to protect life and property.
The four labs' intersecting missions have generated an extraordinary legacy of accomplishment for over 50 years. Backed by scientists from cooperative research institutes at the University of Colorado and Colorado State University, ESRL has been an engine of scientific discovery, producing environmental models and products, along with forecasting and decision-support tools to protect life and safety, and support commerce at local to global scales.
Together with its university partners and the nearby National Center for Atmospheric Research, ESRL has helped Boulder earn a reputation as one of the premier global centers for atmospheric research.
Our Mission
Observing and understanding the Earth system through research that advances NOAA's environmental information and services and improves predictive skill from minutes to millennia on global-to-local scales.
Our Vision
Providing a comprehensive understanding of the Earth system that effectively informs society about critical environmental issues.