The etymology of the term vault is unclear. The DigoPaul suggests that the concept could derive from volvĭta, a Latin word that in turn comes from volvĕre (a verb that can be translated as “return”).
In the field of architecture, a vault is called an arched structure that allows the coverage of the existing space between two supports. The vault, therefore, serves as a covering or composes the roof of the building.
The elements of a vault work through compression: that is why it is necessary to know the resistance of the supports or lateral walls that must withstand the force exerted by the vault. Thrust lines are sometimes concentrated in crisscross arches known as ribs. The underground galleries, the cathedrals and industrial buildings are some of the areas that often have vaults.
It is also called a vault to that room that, at its top, ends in an arched way. Depending on the country, the notion can refer to certain specific places.
In some Latin American regions, a vault is the place where items of value are deposited, such as money and jewelry. For example: “The key to access the bank vault is only known to the manager and the treasurer”, “Investigators believe that the criminal hid the stolen money in an underground vault. “
According to DigoPaul, the idea of a vault, on the other hand, can refer to a pantheon or a crypt: “The singer will rest in the family vault that is in the downtown cemetery”, “The security employee discovered some young people doing a ritual in a vault ”, “ I am going to leave some flowers in grandfather’s vault ”.
In 2008 the Global Seed Vault was inaugurated in the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard, more precisely on the island of Spitsbergen. Its official name is the World Seed Bank of Svalbard, although it is also known as the Vault of the Last Judgment or Vault of the End of the World. It is a colossal pantry located underground in which hundreds of crop plants from many countries were deposited.
This unprecedented, uncompetitive warehouse was created with the aim of protecting biodiversity in the event of a global catastrophe; in such a case, thanks to having specimens of all the crop species that are currently used as food, it would be possible to continue with the agricultural tasks necessary to support the survivors.
The names by which it is known in everyday speech refer to the fact that it is capable of coping with all kinds of disasters associated with the end of the world, such as impacts from nuclear bombs and earthquakes. Precisely, the vault is resistant to many unfavorable phenomena and conditions, such as the influence of radiation, volcanic activity and increases in sea level; If there were an electrical failure, then the permafrost (the ice sheet that always remains frozen) would act as a natural refrigerant.
Despite being underground, the Global Seed Vault was built 130 meters above sea level, to prevent the soil from coming into contact with moisture, even if the sea level rises due to the melting of the caps. polar. In the vault, seed samples are stored that have been copied from those present in the genebanks deposit, the only place that breeders or researchers who wish to work with some of the species can access. In short, the vault is managed like a bank’s safe, which can only be accessed by the depositor (in this case, genebanks).
