The 'time machines' unlocking Antarctica's past

A group of scientists have set out in search of clues to the West Antarctic Ice Sheet's history. Drilling kilometre long sediment and rock cores in water thousands of metres deep, they are attempting to determine the age of what they are looking at in order to track Antarctica’s glacial history.

To do this they use something unexpected. Understanding the history of the ice sheet and how it responded to past warm periods is crucial for predicting the future of the icy continent.

Video by Vivien Cumming