The Mid-Pleistocene Transition (MPT; ~700-1200 ka BP), during which glacial cycles shifted from predominantly 41 ka to 100 ka periodicity without an accompanying change in orbital forcing, remains one of the most significant unresolved questions in Quaternary climate science. Increasing evidence points to the Southern Ocean as a critical component of this transition, potentially through changes in carbon cycling, sea ice dynamics, and dust-mediated iron fertilisation.
Here, I present the first impurity records from the Beyond EPICA Oldest Ice Core (BEOIC), the only continuous Antarctic ice-core archive spanning this pivotal interval. Using a fully optimised continuous flow analysis (CFA) system at the British Antarctic Survey, we generated co-registered, high-resolution records of dust, non-sea-salt calcium (nssCa), iron (Fe), sea-salt sodium (ssNa), non-sea-salt sulfate (nssSO₄), and stable water isotopes from the same meltwater stream, providing an unprecedented view of environmental change across the past 1.2 Ma. Together, these new records provide unique insights into the evolution of Southern Hemisphere dust delivery, sea-ice variability, atmospheric transport, and Southern Ocean biogeochemistry during one of Earth's most important climate transitions.
In addition, I will briefly highlight the role of the NERC National Capability Ice Core Laboratories in supporting UK polar research, showcasing recent and upcoming projects that span past climate reconstruction and contemporary ice-sheet change. These include the REWIND ice core from the Antarctic Peninsula, investigations of ice-shelf stability through the RIFT-TIP drilling programme, and future work on George VI Ice Shelf linking in situ measurements with remote-sensing observations. Together, these projects demonstrate how ice-core and ice-shelf records continue to provide critical insights into the mechanisms governing climate, carbon cycling, and Antarctic change across timescales ranging from centuries to millions of years.
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