The Svalbard Global Seed vault, constructed by the Norwegian government 390 ft inside a mountain on Spitsbergen Island, holds up to 4.5 million different seeds. 810 miles from the north pole and 430 ft above sea level Spitsbergen was chosen as the ideal location to ensure the longevity of the seeds held within. Even if the ice caps were to melt the seed vault would remain safely out of the flood. The sandstone mountain surrounding the vault could also hold the temperature below 30 F for several weeks if the cooling equipment were to fail. All of these safe gaurds ensure that the projects main goal, to collect and preserve seeds from around the world in case a future disaster were to upset the biological diversity on earth, continues as planned. The seeds, which are held in a dry 0° F enviroment, could remain viable for hundreds or even thousands of years.
