Oslo, Norway is the site of the Global Seed Vault, a 400-foot tunnel dug into a remote Arctic mountainside of the Svalbard Archipelago. Over the next two months, refrigeration units will begin to lower the temperature of the vault from 23 degrees to zero degrees, where its precious contents can be stored safely for up to 1,000 years.
The remote site was chosen for its relative safety from threats, its climate, and its permafrost. If the power goes out, the permafrost will maintain the temperature needed to preserve the vault's contents. It is here that up to 4.5 million of the world's agricultural seeds will be kept safe from global warming, plant epidemics, natural disasters, or war. Each country of the world has been invited to deposit seed samples, each containing 500 seeds and wrapped in foil.
Although many countries have begun their own seed banks, some (such as the Philippines, Iran and Iraq) have already been compromised by extreme weather conditions or war. The Svalbard vault is intended to be the final backup so that food production can be restarted in the event of a regional or global catastrophe.
Although Norway will own the vault, each country will retain ownership of the materials it deposits there. The Global Seed Vault will officially open on February 26th.
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