SUSANREATON.COM

At a Glance

2012-01-31T19:53:35Z

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.

As a geologist and geophysicist, Susan has developed a successful career in the Canadian energy sector, attaining the position of Vice President of Exploration in several junior oil and gas companies. Known for her business acumen, she's been listed in the Who's Who of Canadian Women Directory. Through her wholly owned consultancy, SR ECO Consultants Inc., Susan works as a geoscientist, consulting to the Canadian, American and international petroleum and financial sectors on oil and gas exploration and production, environmental risk assessments, media relations and acquisitions and divestitures.

Equipped with degrees in biology, geology, geophysics and journalism, Susan began her broadcasting career in 1987, as a television reporter with CBC-TV. Since then, she's successfully blended her scientific and journalistic skills to tell stories which, she believes, engages the reader in the natural world around us. A member of the Canadian Science Writers' Association, she specializes in reporting on science and technology, business, oil and gas, renewable energy, the environment, ecotourism and extreme snorkeling. Susan contributes regularly to several Canadian and American magazines and publications, including newspapers. Her articles and photographs have been published in Alberta Oil, New Technology Magazine, Enviroline, Popular Mechanics, the Calgary Herald, the Edmonton Journal, the Vancouver Sun, Business Edge News Magazine, EXPLORER Magazine, The PEG and the Financial Post.

Susan's essays about her extreme snorkeling adventures describe appropriate and respectful interactions with marine life, and investigate the environmental challenges facing these fragile ecosystems. And, as far as snorkeling goes, she confirms that snorkeling in Antarctica and South Georgia — in a gin-and-tonic ice mix with Leopard seals, top predators in the Southern Ocean — is as 'extreme' as it gets...

In 2010, Susan's exploration interests took her to Antarctica and South Georgia where she participated — as an explorer, geoscientist and journalist — in the Elysium Visual Epic Expedition. Headed by Michael AW, Fellow of the Explorers Club, Elysium carried the Explorer Club Flag #108 which was unfurled on Elephant Island, a desolate piece of rock and glacier where Sir Ernest Shackleton's crew were stranded, in 1916, for four months. Elysium's mission was to study climate change and to document, scout and record the flora and fauna — both above and below the water — of this last remaining frontier.

Involved in the grassroots conservation movement since 1990, Susan sits on the board of directors of the southern Alberta chapter of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, a not-for-profit environmental organization. Whether participating in a Spanish-speaking Outward Bound School for environmentalists in the jungles of Costa Rica or climbing 300 feet into the old growth rainforest canopy of Carmanah Valley on Vancouver Island, Susan has always had an up-close-and-personal relationship with the wild spaces — and animals who call them home — that she's committed to protecting.

In recognition of Susan's twenty years of environmental leadership in Canada, she was selected an Olympic Torch relay runner for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games.

A GEOSCIENTIST IN ANTARCTICA: SUSAN R. EATON JOINS 2041 AND THE INTERNATIONAL ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION 2012 (FEBRUARY 27 - MARCH 12). 2041 IS DEDICATED TO PRESERVING ANTARCTICA THROUGH THE PROMOTION OF RECYCLING, RENEWABLE ENERGY AND GLOBAL SUSTAINABILITY.

2012-01-30T19:54:00Z

An Antarctic explorer-in-the-making, I return to Antarctica in 2012-2013, participating in two international expeditions led by world renowned experts which focus on the interplay of glaciology, geology, geophysics, plate tectonics, climate change, ocean change, renewable energy and global sustainability issues.

From February 27 to March 12, 2012, I'll participate in the International Antarctic Expedition (IAE) which focuses on climate change, renewable energy and global sustainability issues. These global issues will be investigated — at the scientific, environmental, social and economic levels — using Antarctica as the teaching platform.

I'll be sending dispatches from Antarctica during the IAE 2012. Please join me, virtually, as I explore the Bottom of the World.

The IAE 2012 will be led by Robert Swan, Officer of the Order of the British Empire, United Nations Goodwill Ambassador and recipient of the Polar Medal and founder of 2041, an organization dedicated to preserving Antarctica by the promotion of recycling, renewable energy and sustainability to combat the effects of climate change.

Antarctica, the planet's remaining frontier, belongs to citizens of the world and is development-free until 2041 when the Madrid Protocol, declaring it a place for peace and scientific endeavours, expires.

The IAE 2012 will draw 64 participants from around the world, bringing together leaders from academia, industry, government, environmental non-governmental organizations, media and youth groups. Corporate representatives from BP Wind Energy, Shell, KPMG, Coca-Cola, Lloyd's Register and renewable energy companies will be participating in the expedition. School teachers from the United States and other countries will also be participating in the IAE 2012. In October 2011, Swan ran the US Marine Corps Marathon, raising funds to send two wounded US Servicemen on the IAE 2012.

Robert Swan was the first man to walk (unassisted) to both the South and North poles in 1986 and 1989, respectively. In November 2012, Swan will make history again, by walking to the South Pole, supported solely by solar and wind power.

In 2008, Swan and his team were the first explorers to live in Antarctica — powered solely by renewable energy — and to communicate to the world, via internet, using renewable energy. Also in 2008, Swan launched the Voyage for Cleaner Energy featuring the 2041, a sailboat equipped with sails made of recycled plastic bottles and an engine refitted to operate on wind, solar and biodiesel fuel.

In contrast to the 2010 Elysium Visual Epic Expedition where I spent a lot of time snorkeling and filming in -2C waters, my participation in the IAE 2012 will enable me to experience Antarctica from above the water, with my feet firmly planted on the ground. Participation in the 2012 IAE will enable me to investigate, document and report on new subjects: renewable energy applications and sustainability issues as they relate to Antarctica and the broader world.

As the sole geoscientist on the expedition, I'll deliver lectures on the geology of Antarctica and I'll investigate the application of geothermal energy, a 24/7 renewable energy source that's independent of the number of hours of sunlight in a day or of the wind speed. As a geoscientist, I'll also emphasize the key role that the disciplines of geology and geophysics play in studying climate change in Antarctica and around the world.

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 IAE 2012 team will camp on polar ice floes and will scale glaciers. But, in contrast to Shackleton's era, we'll be equipped with satellite phones and radios, and decked out in the latest micro-fabrics, waterproof clothing and expedition-rated sleeping bags.

Sculpted Iceberg off the Western Antarctica Peninsula

Susan R. Eaton's Partners

2012-01-28T16:18:00Z

Susan R. Eaton's Partners for 2041 and the IAE 2012 (under construction)

Calgarians revisit Antarctic expeditions through reproduced whisky: Scottish distillery painstakingly remakes a whisky that has languished in Antarctica for a century. Only 50,000 bottles were produced and a mere 50 cases have landed in Calgary.

2012-01-24T16:42:19Z

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

Researcher in Christ Church, New Zealand, examines 100-year-old bottles of Mackinlay's Rare Old Highland Malt Whisky

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 >>

http://www.calgaryherald.com/life/spirit+exploration/5593782/story.html

Richard Paterson, Whyte and Mackay's master blender, using his 'nose' to blend the recreation of Mackinlay's Rare Old Highland Malt Whisky

Houston Geological Society Guest Night 2012 to Feature Extreme Speaker May 19

2012-01-24T14:44:00Z

Most geologists have a natural wanderlust to see new places and different rocks. Imagine the thrill of exploring this planet’s last frontier - Antarctica - and doing this partially underwater! This year, the annual Guest Night event will feature Susan R. Eaton who will take us on a journey to the Bottom of the World, sharing her experiences of two Antarctic expeditions. Susan's multi-media presentation is entitled “A Geoscientist in Antarctica: Following in Shackleton's Footsteps One Hundred Years Later. << MORE >>

http://www.hgs.org/en/art/3127/

Official 2010 Elysium Visual Epic Expedition Photo, taken at Elephant Island, February 2010

Purchase Tickets to the 2012 HGS Annual Guest Night

Saturday 19-May-12 5:45PM to 10:00 PM CDT

http://www.hgs.org/en/cev/1435

Dark Sky sparkles over Jasper: Fall ushers in mountain town’s inaugural stargazing festival

2012-01-23T18:59:00Z

BY SUSAN R. EATON, FOR THE EDMONTON JOURNAL, OCTOBER 2011

A family enjoys a night of stargazing on Pyramid Island on Jasper National Park and Dark Sky Preserve’s Pyramid Lake (image: Yuichi Takasaka, www.blue-moon.ca)

JASPER - Performing a weird rendition of hopscotch, I leap over voluminous piles of elk poop as I zigzag my way toward the Jasper Information Centre National Historic Site on Connaught Drive. A quick inspection of the bottom of my boots indicates that I need to hone my hopscotch moves, and that Jasper’s four-legged residents — the donors are nowhere to be seen at the moment — are integral to the nitrogen cycle of this sleepy town of 5,000, nestled in Jasper National Park. I’m in town to learn the basics of “wilderness astronomy,” Jasper’s newest tourism activity. Declared a Dark Sky Preserve in March 2011, by the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, Jasper National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is gearing up to host its first Dark Sky Festival from Oct. 21-24. << MORE >>

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/travel/Dark+sparkles+over+Jasper/5551416/story.html

Space journalist and Wilderness astronomer Peter McMahon stargazing on the shores of Maligne Lake in Jasper National Park and Dark Sky Preserve (image: Yuichi Takasaka, www.blue-moon.ca)

Geoscience Adventure in Antarctica: Retracing the Route of the Shackleton Expedition. By Susan R. Eaton, AAPG Explorer Magazine, January 2011.

2011-07-10T03:25:56Z

BY SUSAN R.EATON, EXPLORER CORRESPONDENT, JANUARY 2011

MV Professor Molchanov at anchor near the Western Antarctic Peninsula and framed by the arch of a sculpted iceberg

I began by assembling the basics for my field trip to Antarctica and South Georgia: surface geology maps, topographic maps, hiking boots, wool socks, a back pack and two digital cameras. My gear list soon ballooned to include a hydrophone, an Iridium satellite phone, a laptop computer, an Arctic-rated dry suit (which doubles as a survival suit), flares, an underwater camera housing, long underwear, a parka, mitts, hats and knee-high rubber boots. Three hundred and fifty pounds (of equipment) later, I was rigged for a modern-day geology and geophysics field trip to the bottom of the world. I was ready to tackle one of the harshest climates on Earth. MORE>>>

http://www.aapg.org/explorer/2011/01jan/antarctic0111.cfm

Shackleton’s exploits awe-inspiring: Antarctic Trip a Platform for Teaching

2011-06-08T17:20:00Z

BY SUSAN R.EATON, EXPLORER CORRESPONDENT, FEBRUARY 2011

Dr. Cabell Davis of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution examines the Digital Autonomous Video Plankton Recorder (DAVPR) enters the Scotia Sea

The imposing cliffs and cascading glaciers of Elephant Island faded into the mist as we set out across the Scotia Sea, retracing Sir Ernest Shackleton’s heroic, 800-mile ocean voyage from Elephant Island to South Georgia. Shackleton’s 1916 crossing took 17 days in the James Caird, a 22-foot life boat rigged with a canvas deck and small sail, and equipped with a sextant and compass. During our three-day crossing, my fellow explorers and I were humbled by Shackleton’s achievement; our vessel, the 70-meter Professor Molchanov, rolled up to 25 degrees, water crashed over her decks, and the topsides became encrusted snow and ice – one of a mariner’s worst fears. << MORE >>

http://www.aapg.org/explorer/2011/02feb/antarctic0211.cfm

Dr. Dr. Steve Nicol of the Australian Antarctic Division prepares plankton net for deployment off Elephant Island

OH-SO Canadian Adventures. Adventure #1: Boogying with Belugas in Hudson Bay. Susan R. Eaton for the travel section of the Calgary Herald.

2011-05-06T18:21:00Z

With an equal mixture of excitement and trepidation -- and a final, furtive scan of the horizon for polar bears -- I drop over the side of the boat, into the icy Arctic waters of Hudson Bay. As I hit the water, my breathing is reduced to shallow, frenetic gulps inhaled through my snorkel. I'm decked out from head to toe in an Arctic rated dry suit, yet I'm not completely adapted to this aqueous otherworld.

I bob just below the water's surface -- balancing by my ankles on a tow line -- as the boat driver trolls me and my snorkelling buddy through Hudson Bay, like bait on a line... In the distance, I can see the town of Churchill, Manitoba, which is comforting."Belugas at three o'clock and moving quickly," shouts our driver, as I replay the advice from Brian Sheehan, curator of marine mammals for the Vancouver Aquarium, who told me how to identify "happy" versus "agitated" beluga behaviour. When a beluga contorts its body into a C-shaped pretzel, said Sheehan, watch out. MORE>>>>

http://www2.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/travel/story.html?id=60ab0398-8d04-4bcc-8fdf-665fb6b81325

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT, OCTOBER 13, 2010: THE 2010 CSPG HONORARY ADDRESS PRESENTS "POLAR EXPLORATION -- THE NEXT GENERATION OF "COOL" SCIENCE."

2010-10-13T22:38:00Z

On October 26th at the Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium, the Honorary Address will bring together two adventurous geoscientists to share the experiences they gained exploring the planet's polar extremes: distinguished speakers Dr. Jacob Verhoef and Susan R. Eaton, P.Geol., P.Geoph. The Honorary Address is a Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists (CSPG) Outreach Program that provides an opportunity for 2,000 Calgary Junior High students and the general public to explore the Geosciences and their relevance to Society.