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![Seedbank Entrance]()
In a remote mountainside on the Norwegian tundra sits the "doomsday vault," a backup against disaster -- manmade or otherwise. Inside lives the last hope should the unthinkable occur: a global seedbank that could be used to replant the world.![Guarded by Polar Bears]()
"The region on Svalbard surrounding the Seed Vault is remote, severe, and inhabited by polar bears," according to the Global Crop Diversity Trust, which helps to support the vault's operations. This one's just a sculpture, however.![Adding_to_the_Vault]()
A seed box is carried into the vault by Ola Westengen, operation manager.![Seeds_in_Storage_2]()
Seed boxes are stored inside the vault on giant shelves. The vault currently contains half a million different types of seeds.![Frozen Doors]()
The arctic permafrost offers natural freezing for the seeds, while additional cooling brings the temperatures down to minus 0.4 degrees Fahrenheit.![Seedbank_Entrance]()
The preciousness of the seeds there is also reflected in the inaccessible nature of the vault. "Anyone seeking access to the seeds themselves will have to pass through four locked doors: the heavy steel entrance doors, a second door approximately 115 meters down the tunnel and finally the two keyed air-locked doors," the Trust writes. "Keys are coded to allow access to different levels of the facility. Not all keys unlock all doors."![Seedbank_Entrance_2]()
The preciousness of the seeds there is also reflected in the inaccessible nature of the vault. "Anyone seeking access to the seeds themselves will have to pass through four locked doors: the heavy steel entrance doors, a second door approximately 115 meters down the tunnel and finally the two keyed air-locked doors," the Trust writes. "Keys are coded to allow access to different levels of the facility. Not all keys unlock all doors."![A Truly Remote Location]()
![Artwork in the Seedbank]()
![Svalbard_Global_Seed_Vault]()
The front entrance of the Global Seed Vault in Norway.Norway's Frozen Seedbank: Noah's Ark for Nature
In a remote mountainside on the Norwegian tundra sits the "doomsday vault," a backup against disaster -- a global seedbank that could be used to replant the world.
Move Forward
- Norway's Frozen Seedbank: Noah's Ark for Nature
