Former mines and Cold War-era nuclear bunkers are being transformed into data centers as companies seek safer locations for their information. These underground facilities are protected from the ravages of hurricanes, tornadoes and ice. What's more, because of their constant temperature, they use less energy than their above-ground counterparts, reports Rachel King at Bloomberg BusinessWeek.

King presents a slideshow of about a dozen super secure data centers, providing general locations. One of the coolest looking centers (slide 8) is built into a former limestone mine in Springfield, Mo. Situated 100 feet below the surface of the Earth, this underground facility offers 2.4 million square feet of commercial space. The temperature ranges from about 60 to 64 degrees year round.

Perhaps the strongest of the facilities featured is the U.S. Secure Hosting Center in Monticello, Iowa. Built during the Cold War, it was designed to withstand a 20-megatron nuclear bomb detonated 2.4 miles away. They set it up to continue running autonomously for two weeks.

For more:
- see Rachel King's slideshow at Bloomberg BusinessWeek

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