Susan is a geologist, geophysicist, journalist and 'extreme' snorkeler with an intense curiosity about planetary processes, the marine environment, climate change and global sustainability issues.

A member of the New York Explorers Club, Susan's exploration interests have evolved from her scientific, environmental and journalistic backgrounds which flow together seamlessly on a continuum. She's incorporated the sciences of geology and geophysics into field work being conducted on climate change around the world, with a particular interest and focus on polar regions. An extreme snorkeler, her area of interest — and expertise — is exploring the planet from the water-air-land interface which provides a unique window to investigate the flora and fauna of the planet's largely unexplored oceans and adjacent land masses.

Susan returns to Antarctica in February 2012, participating in the International Antarctic Expedition (IAE) which focuses on climate change, renewable energy and global sustainability issues. Led by Robert Swan, OBE, the IAE 2012 includes a Leadership on the Edge Program, designed to promote team work in harsh conditions and to create environmental educators at the personal, corporate, community and country levels. Robert Swan, OBE, the first man to walk (unassisted) to both the South and North Pole. In November 2012, Swan will make history again, by walking to the South Pole, supported solely by solar and wind power.

As a public speaker, Susan conveys the excitement and romance of modern-day polar exploration, delivering multi-media presentations to diverse audiences for educational and awareness purposes. On May 19, 2012, Susan will present "A Geoscientist in Antarctica: Following in Shackleton's Footsteps One Hundred Years Later," at the Houston Museum of Natural Science's IMAX Theatre. Hosted by the Houston Geological Society, her presentation will reach an audience comprised of school children, university students, the general public and geoscientists. << MORE >>

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Date: February 29, 2012

Place: Martial Glacier, Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina

Antarctica: Dispatch Number Ten

Susan R. Eaton, geologist and geophysicist, gives an impromptu geology lesson at the Martial Glacier, Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina.
Video filmed, produced and narrated by Sophie Pieters-Hawke. Edited by Susan R. Eaton.

February 29
54° 47' South and 68° 24' West
MARTIAL GLACIER, USHUAIA, TIERRA DEL FUEGO, ARGENTINA

The morning dawned clear and cold. Relieved that the rain had stopped sometime during the night, I glanced out my hotel room window, reflecting upon what to wear for the morning's outdoor activity. My eyes immediately ran to the top of the Martial Glacier — we were scheduled to climb it this morning, in a team-building exercise — which towered imperiously above the Hotel del Glacier. As I watched a skiff of snow blow off the ice capped cirques — five of them nestled shoulder to shoulder, from left to right — I concluded, as I often did, that: "More clothing is always better."

There was a buzz of excitement as the climbing teams gathered in the hotel lobby to test their newly-honed mountaineering skills. For two days, Jason Flesher and his team of mountaineering specialists with the International Antarctic Expedition (IAE) 2012 had run us through exercises and drills — from tying knots in ropes to walking tied together with ropes.

That morning, our team of nine worked together, methodically assembling its gear.

Climbing ropes, carabiners, web harnesses configured with knots to hold fast in the event of a fall. Check.

Water bottles. Check.

Gloves, hats and neck scarves. Check.

Layers, layers, layers. Check. << MORE >>

Date: March 6, 2012

Place: Western Antarctic Peninsula

Antarctica: Dispatch Number Nine

Susan R. Eaton speaks of another type of renewable reality: "One Hundred Years of Geoscience in Antarctica"
Image courtesy of 2041 (International Antarctic Expedition 2012)

MARCH 6
64° 53' South and 62° 52' West
PARADISE HARBOUR, WESTERN ANTARCTICA PENINSULA

Renewable Reality TEDxAntarcticPeninsula: Susan R. Eaton speaks about "One Hundred Years of Geoscience in Antarctica"

After viewing the videos of the TEDxAntarcticPeninsula outdoor event, a friend from England asked a very simple question: "Where did you plug in the microphone?"

A very good question indeed!

According to Darren McGann, TEDx Organizer and International Antarctic Expedition 2012 Team Leader, not only was this the first standard TEDx event held on the continent of Antarctica – it was the first outdoor TEDx event to be solely powered by renewable energy.

The sound system and microphone were connected to batteries powered by solar panels – tapping the sun's energy, the International Antarctic Expedition 2012 proved that if this can be done in Antarctica, it can be done anywhere in the world.

Held on March 6, 2012, in the last remaining wilderness on Earth, the TEDxAntarcticPeninsula's purpose was to engage, inspire, and share ideas to address the world's most pressing challenges. Entitled "Renewable Reality," the event featured ten speakers (me included) who discussed their visions of a renewable reality for the future.

Surrounded by the towering glaciers of Paradise Harbour, the International Antarctic Expedition 2012 Participants – 72 team member and 10 team leaders from 22 nations – improvised by sitting on rubber mats on the snow. << MORE >>

HGS Bulletin Houston Geological Society Volume 54 Number 9 May 2012
Photo courtesy of 2041 (International Antarctic Expedition 2012)

HGS Antarctic Explorer-in-Residence Susan R. Eaton and Robert Swan of the International Antarctic Expedition 2012 pose with the Houston Geological Society's banner at Brooklyn Island, Wilhelmina Bay, Western Antarctic Peninsula. Eaton, equipped with degrees in petroleum geology, geophysics and journalism, is the HGS’ 2012 Annual Guest Night Speaker on May 19, 2012.

Swan, an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, an United Nations Environment Programme Goodwill Ambassador and a recipient of the Polar Medal, is the founder of “2041,” an organization dedicated to preserving Antarctica. 2041 marks the year that the Madrid Protocol, declaring Antarctica a place for peace and scientific endeavors, expires.

The HGS proudly sponsored Susan’s participation in the International Antarctic Expedition (IAE) 2012 in February and March. As the HGS Antarctic-Explorer-in-Residence, Susan will participate in our community outreach events in Houston.

A century ago, Sir Ernest Shackleton’s scientific teams were comprised of geologists and geophysicists who explored Antarctica because it was there, and because it was unclaimed by any nation. Today, geoscientists explore Antarctica, not because it’s there, but because it might not be there — in its icebound majesty — in the future.

Read the article published in the May 2012 issue of the Houston Geological Society Bulletin. << MORE >>

Susan R. Eaton, a Calgary-based geologist, geophysicist, science journalist and extreme snorkeler, has recently returned from Antarctica where she participated in the 2012 International Antarctic Expedition (IAE) led by Robert Swan, the first person in history to walk to both the North and South poles. Swan is an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and an United Nations Environment Programme Goodwill Ambassador.

The Houston Geological Society (HGS), the world's largest local geological society, was one of Susan's 2012 IAE sponsors.

On May 19, 2012, Susan is the keynote speaker at the HGS Annual Guest Night.  She'll deliver a multi-media presentation, entitled "A Geoscientist in Antarctica: Following in Shackleton's Footsteps One Hundred Years Later," at the IMAX Theatre of the Houston Museum of Natural Science.

And, on May 21, 2012, Susan will deliver her Antarctic presentation to the Clear Lake Gem and Mineral Society, an active member of the greater Houston Community which supports local libraries, colleges and other educational institutions. << MORE >>

Date: March 9, 2012

Place: Antarctica

Antarctica: Dispatch Number Eight

Brown Bluff, Western Antarctic Peninsula: Molting gentoo penguins seek shelter from the wind behind boulders containing laminate bedding and large, angular xenoliths.

March 9
63° 32' South and 56° 55' West
Brown Bluff, Western Antarctic Peninsula

The IAE 2012 team conducted its final and most challenging team exercise of the expedition on a glacier at Brown Bluff – under the watchful eyes of the mountaineering leaders, IAE 2012 groups comprised of roughly eight climbers navigated a glacier dissected by crevasses. << MORE >>

Date: March 8, 2012

Place: Antarctica

Antarctica: Dispatch Number Seven

50-plus women took part in 2041’s International Antarctic Expedition (IAE) 2012. Susan R. Eaton (third row, left-hand side) and Angela Shaw, a Canadian who works for Shell in London, England, hold the Canadian flag.

March 8
62° 13' South and 58° 49' West
Celebrating International Women’s Day (IWD) in Antarctica

IWD celebrates the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future.

I was both honoured and thrilled to celebrate International Women's Day (IWD) on March 8 with the 50-plus women participating in 2041’s International Antarctic Expedition (IAE) 2012. << MORE >>

Date: March 7 and 8, 2012

Place: Antarctica

Antarctica: Dispatch Number Six

Natural ice sculptures abound in Antarctica. Image courtesy of 2041 (IAE 2012).

March 7
64° 44' South and 62° 37' West
Danco Island

We climbed to the top of Danco Island to enjoy a panoramic vista (isn’t every Antarctic vista panoramic?)
We saw gentoo penguins and fur seals, then went on another zodiac cruise.

March 7
64° 39' South and 62° 01' West
Brooklyn Island, Wilhelmina Bay

Framed by floating bits of ice, Robert Swan and the IAE’s 72 participants got an opportunity to pose with their respective corporate banners. The tide was rising when my turn came to get photos taken (with Robert Swan) of my partners’ banners: The Houston Geological Society; the Canmore Museum and Geoscience Centre; and APEGGA (the Association of Professional Engineers, Geologists and Geophysicists of Alberta). I’d like to acknowledge all of my partners (media, geosciences organizations, schools and universities) who are following me, virtually, as I explore Antarctica. << MORE >>

Date: March 6, 2012

Place: Antarctica

Antarctica: Dispatch Number Five

The M/V Sea Spirit in Paradise Harbour near Leith Cove. Image courtesy of 2041 (IAE 2012).

March 6
64° 52' South and 62° 49' West
Survival Camping at Leith Cove, Paradise Harbour

Camping in Antarctica is harsh – at the best of times – and I was leery of the overnight exercise that 2041 had dubbed “Survival Camping.”

On March 6, as part of the 2041’s Leadership on the Edge program, participants landed on a small island in Leith Cove, just one hour before sunset. Bivouac sacks replaced tents. Snow walls were built to shelter campers from ocean breezes and katabatic winds flowing off the nearby glaciers. No food or drink was allowed ashore. The portable toilet facilities were rudimentary. << MORE >>

Date: March 4 and 5, 2012

Place: Antarctica

Antarctica: Dispatch Number Four

The M/V Sea Spirit approaching Lemaire Channel. Image courtesy of 2041 (IAE 2012).

March 4
65° 2' South and 63° 55' West
Lemaire Channel

Sound asleep in our beds, we were abruptly awakened at dawn by the safety officer’s booming voice – invading our cabin via the ship’s intercom – telling us we had five minutes to dress (in multi-layers) and muster on the foredeck of the M/V Sea Spirit. << MORE >>

Date: March 4, 2012

Place: Antarctica

Antarctica: Dispatch Number Three

Video of LeMaire Channel and Arrival to Antarctica

Video courtesy of 2041 (IAE 2012).

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Dates: March 1 to March 3, 2012

Place: From Ushuaia, Argentina to Antarctica

Antarctica: Dispatch Number Two

The bow of the M/V Sea Spirit. Image courtesy of 2041 (IAE 2012).

March 1
54° 48' South AND 68° 17' West

We embarked aboard the M/V Sea Spirit from Ushuaia, Argentina, the southernmost city on the South American continent. Setting sail in the early evening, we traveled east through the Beagle Channel, a body of water named after the HMS Beagle, the boat that carried Charles Darwin to the Galapagos Islands in 1831. << MORE >>

Date: March 1, 2012

Place: Ushuaia, Argentina

Antarctica: Dispatch Number One

Susan R. Eaton at Salisbury Plain in South Georgia which is home to a colony of 300,000 King penguins.

Bitten by the polar bug, Susan R. Eaton returns to Antarctica in March 2012, participating in the International Antarctic Expedition (IAE ) 2012 which focuses on renewable energy, climate change and global sustainability issues.

The MV Sea Spirit departs at 1700 hours on Thursday, March 1, from Ushuaia, the southernmost city in Argentina.

The IAE 2012 includes a "Leadership on the Edge Program" designed to promote team work in harsh conditions and to create environmental educators (adults and youth alike) and global leaders at the personal, corporate, academic, governmental, community and country levels.

Reminiscent of an Outward Bound School, the team of explorers will scale glaciers and camp on polar ice floes. In contrast to Sir Ernest Shackleton's era, the modern-day explorers will be equipped with satellite phones and radios, and decked out in the latest micro-fabrics, waterproof clothing and expedition-rated sleeping bags. << MORE >>

BY SUSAN R. EATON, FOR THE CALGARY HERALD, OCTOBER 2011

Elysium Visual Epic Expedition: (L to R) of Jonathan Shackleton (cousin to Sir Ernest), Expedition Historian; Susan R. Eaton, Expedition Geophysicist and Journalist, and Dr. Toni Williamson, Expedition Geologist, at Shackleton's gravesite in Grytviken, South Georgia, February 2010.

Sir Ernest Shackleton probably hadn't planned on leaving three crates of Scotch whisky in Antarctica, and I certainly never imagined drinking it in Calgary, one hundred years later. But thanks to the 2007 discovery of the 19th century liquor under the floor boards of Shackleton's abandoned Antarctic hut, whisky aficionados in Calgary recently raised a toast to the polar explorer. We weren't tasting the original golden malt, however, but a precise recreation - Mackinlay's Rare Old Highland Malt Whisky. << MORE >>