Svalbard’s mysterious ‘doomsday’ seed vault offers first glimpse inside with virtual tour

The Svalbard Global Seed Vault in the Norwegian Arctic, which opened in 2008, is closed to the public and shrouded in mystery. Now, to celebrate the Seed Vault’s 15th anniversary, everyone is invited on a virtual tour to see inside the vast collection of tubers, rice, grains and other seeds buried deep in the mountain behind five sets of metal doors.

“The virtual tour gives everybody the opportunity to look inside. We think that is a general question of transparency and accountability to the broader public,” says Stefan Schmitz, executive director of the Crop Trust. “What is secured inside the vault is one of the most important global public goods we have on Earth. But we need to protect them, secure them and to make sure that they are conserved in perpetuity.”

Read full story in The Guardian