Ground Truth: Permafrost is Thawing | Taylor Sullivan | TEDxKC

"The term permafrost makes it sound like it's not going anywhere" – but as this enlightening talk reveals, "it is." With alarming new data and practical encouragement, permafrost geophysicist Taylor Sullivan explains how frozen ground in the Arctic influences temperatures where you live — and how the way you live influences Arctic temperatures. Taylor observes patterns of freeze and thaw within ecosystems characterized by permafrost—ground that has been frozen for more than two consecutive years. As a research geophysicist, he employs electromagnetic techniques to constrain the boundary conditions for local and global-scale models of permafrost extent and future permafrost projections.

While earning his doctorate from the University of Wyoming, Taylor relocated to a cabin without running water in the boreal forest of the Alaskan interior. Before this, he discovered his drive to expand the envelope of human understanding of earth processes while serving as an interpretive ranger in the Rocky Mountain region of America’s National Parks. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx