Unassuming, icicle-like tubes could help answer mysteries about Earth’s climate.

They are the world’s oldest ice cores, which have just landed in the UK after being drilled from the depths of Antarctica.

While most of Britain is reeling from weeks of back-to-back heatwaves, scientists in Cambridge find out what the rare blocks of ice can reveal about climate change and our home planet.

But to get hold of the ice, they first had to drill for 1.7 miles down the ice sheet at the South Pole.

The giant stick of ice was then cut into more manageable chunks and transported to Europe.

Scientists hope the pieces will reveal why the planet’s climate cycle shifted more than a million years ago, helping to predict Earth’s future response to rising greenhouse gas.

Dr Liz Thomas, from the British Antarctic Survey in Cambridge, told Reuters: ‘We really are exploring a completely unknown time in our history.

‘We are hoping to unlock all these amazing secrets.’

The new core ice, which was drilled near the Concordia research station in the ‘White Continent,’ beats the previous 800,000-year-old ice, which was drilled in the early 2000s.

Until now, scientists have relied on marine sediments to study the climate cycles. over millions of years.

But ice has a special feature invisible to the naked eye – entrapped bubbles showing the atmospheric conditions, amount of greenhouse gas in the air and chemical evidence of temperatures at the time when they were released.

And to not make the job too easy for the scientists, Antarctica is the only place on Earth where such a long record of the atmosphere is found.

Summer temperatures at the French-Italian Concordia station range from -30°C to -50°C, and can reach a brain-numbing -80°C in winter.

Dr Thomas continued: ‘Our data will yield the first continuous reconstructions of key environmental indicators—including atmospheric temperatures, wind patterns, sea ice extent, and marine productivity—spanning the past 1.5 million years.

‘This unprecedented ice core dataset will provide vital insights into the link between atmospheric CO₂ levels and climate during a previously uncharted period in Earth’s history, offering valuable context for predicting future climate change.’

Other Antarctica mysteries

The world’s largest ice sheet remains shrouded in mystery and intrigue as relatively little is still known about Antarctica.

Geologists believe the continent was once covered in rivers and forests.

Satellite data and radars revealed ridges and valleys, suggesting the icy no man’s land looked very different 34 million years ago.

Meanwhile, conspiracy theorists have their eyes set on Antarctica after Google Map sleuths believe they have found a secret door buried in the mountainside.

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Meteorologist Jim Dale warned of the rapid impact of climate change.

There are a few weeks when I’d rather be anywhere but here.

For every social media post filled with thoughts and prayers, the most vulnerable lives will continue to be lost, and our world will carry on burning. 

This is a warning to those who are not taking the impending danger seriously. 

Meteorologist Jim Dale warned of the rapid impact of climate change.

A searing heatwave sweeping Europe has pushed temperatures above 40°C in parts of Italy and Spain.

Some 2,600 miles west of Hawaii and more than 3,000 miles from mainland Australia, the island nation of Tuvalu faces an uncertain future.

This isn’t just about numbers on a page. It’s about peace of mind. 

It might even happen this year.

There are a few weeks when I’d rather be anywhere but here.

Scientists believe it was once home to forests and rivers.

Satellite images show how the Soviet crater is now just smoldering in the desert.

King Charles braved the rain in east London today visiting the city’s first ever SXSW festival.

The Kingdom Choir, who performed at the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s wedding in 2018, sang to Charles while he toured the event in Shoreditch.

Charles kept himself dry holding an umbrella while meeting key figures in the creative arts and technology industries.

This week, London has been filled with thousands people attending SXSW, a conference that began in Texas but has evolved into a broader cultural festival.

The focal point of Charles’s was the immersive art installation, centred around sustainability, a subject which the King is passionate about.

The exhibit, made by London artist Damien Roach, is called Grounding. It utilises AI and data to transform landscape images, reflecting the natural world’s constant adaptation and evolution.

In a previous video address, Charles compared the rise of AI to the discovery of electricity, the splitting of the atom, and the creation of the internet.

He went on to meet speakers for a panel session called ‘Love the Earth’, before visiting Spitalfields to see an art exhibition from Caribbean artists, about British Art and Culture.

SXSW has been in full swing all week. SXSW CEO Max Alexander told Metro, one of the conference’s media partners, that attendees will witness a historic ‘love letter to London’.

Idris Elba, Katherine Ryan, Erykah Badu, Alice Glass, and Sophie Turner are among the many actors, musicians, creative minds, and pioneering entrepreneurs who will be giving talks and performances until Saturday.

Earlier this week, Sadiq Khan opened the inaugural London festival during a panel with Tania Bryer at The Truman Brewery.

‘This week the creative eyes of the world will be on London as our capital becomes the first European city to ever host SXSW,’ he said.

SXSW London takes place from today (June 2) until Saturday (June 7) at venues across London.  For more information and tickets, click here.

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Around 50,000 have been left isolated by the floods.

Climate change has fuelled the spread of the Usutu virus, which is deadly to some wild bird species, experts say.

We’re going to see a decline in some of our favourite foods.

‘There are risks with not finding these things out. If we only rely on modelling we can’t find out if we are wrong.’