By drilling deep into Antarctica's ice to extract ice cores dating back hundreds of thousands of years, scientists are able to obtain samples containing air bubbles that reveal vital information about our climate’s history. It was data from ice cores that helped scientists deduce that rising temperatures linked to greenhouse gasses is caused by humans burning fossil fuels.

In January 2025, what may be the world’s oldest ice, dating back 1.2 million years, was extracted in a core measuring 1.74 miles (2.8km). Scientists hope it will help them discover what happened between 900,000-1.2 million years ago when glacial cycles were disrupted and, according to some researchers, our ancestors came close to extinction.

The incredible story of Antarctica, the world’s most mysterious continent