The Svalbard Global Seed Vault.
The location was chosen for its relative insulation from warming climates and its remoteness.
The building, which looks like a concrete pride rock, was carved into the side of Plateau Mountain.
The Svalbard Global Seed Vault. (Photo: Subiet viaWikimedia Commons,CC BY-SA 4.0)
It stands alone against the cold landscape.
Inside, towers of shelves hold thousands of boxes containing seeds in aluminum envelopes.
A low temperature of -18 degrees Celcius preserves this precious material.
Interior storage of the vault. (Photo:Wikimedia Commons, Public domain)
The aluminum envelopes contain over 1.2 million samples of plant seeds from around the world.
So, why collect these crops?
Many countries, in fact, have their own gene banks around the world.
Aluminum bags holding seeds. (Photo:Wikimedia Commons, Public domain)
Now15 yearsinto its mission, the vault’s collection continues to grow.
From here in Svalbard, the world looks different.
Explore this potential yourself through thevirtual tour, by Virtual Tour Company.
poke the arrows to walk or use the map function to see the entire amazing facility.
Interior storage of the vault.
Aluminum bags holding seeds.
