noun. length scale whose relevant unit of measurement is the nanometer (nm), or a billionth of a meter. Also called the nanoscopic scale. nanotechnology. noun. development and study of technological function and devices on a scale of individual atoms and molecules. nanotube.

Nestled in the Rocky Mountains at 10,158 feet, Leadville, Colorado, draws adventurers and history buffs. Here's how to visit this former mining boomtown.

Exploration for gold and copper already threatens its continued survival, according to the study, published recently in the journal PeerJ. The creation of mining concessions has "increased at an alarming rate" in the country, says study lead author Juan Manuel Guayasamin Ernest, a researcher at Universidad San Francisco de Quito.

Dying to Breathe: The Unseen Cost of Gold Mining Photographer Sim Chi Yin spent more than three years documenting a Chinese gold miner who is suffering from the deadly lung disease silicosis.

The mineral extraction process begins with finding the location of mineral deposits. Remote sensors that use satellite images and geochemical surveys are just two ways that minerals can be located. Many minerals are then removed through mining or quarrying. However, liquid minerals, such as oil or gas, may be extracted by pumping.

Explore the production of gold in India, examining the impact of gold mining and how this shapes the nation's economic landscape with the World Gold Council.

The video above is from the March 2013 iPad edition of National Geographic magazine. Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is a drilling method used to extract petroleum (oil) or natural gas from deep in the planet. In the fracking process, cracks in and below Earth's surface are opened and widened by injecting water, chemicals, and sand …

A pristine American backcountry faces down an environmental crisis. Minnesota's million-acre Boundary Waters Canoe Area has long been a wilderness haven. Can it be preserved? A handmade wood ...

The troubling connection between deforestation, mining, and malaria is poised to create especially bad outbreaks in 2020.

Coal is a nonrenewable fossil fuel that is combusted and used to generate electricity. Mining techniques and combustion are both dangerous to miners and hazardous to the environment; however, coal …

How Humans Are Causing Deadly Earthquakes. Mining, dam building, and fracking are among the causes. Earthquakes are often thought of as largely unpredictable, wholly natural forces of nature—but ...

Deforestation is the purposeful clearing of forested land. Throughout history and into modern times, forests have been razed to make space for agriculture and animal grazing, and to obtain wood for fuel, manufacturing, and construction. Deforestation has greatly altered landscapes around the world. About 2,000 years ago, 80 percent of …

Archaeologists are searching for answers to questions over what happened to the lost Inca gold of Atahualpa.

Due to its position on Earth and its climate, Africa is home to many resource-dense natural habitats, including forests, oceans, coasts, deserts, highlands and more. For centuries, these resources have allowed people to live in Africa without degrading the land or its ecosystems. Africa's diamonds, cobalt and other natural resources help to ...

Kids Encyclopedia Facts. Gold mining is the extraction of gold resources by mining. Historically, mining gold from alluvial deposits used manual separation processes, such as gold panning. However, with the expansion of gold mining to ores that are not on the surface, has led to more complex extraction processes such as pit mining and gold ...

Water-strapped countries are tapping ancient underground aquifers to stay afloat. But so-called paleowater won't last forever, experts warn.

Elements such as gold and platinum can be found on some asteroids. But water, silicon, nickel, and iron are the elements expected to become central to a space "economy" should it ever develop ...

Since the costs can be high in the exploration and removal of gold from the hard rock mines, large companies are created in order to raise the money necessary for the development of the mines, rather than the solitary individual or …

Britain, France, Spain, and the Netherlands established colonies in North America. Each country had different motivations for colonization and expectations about the potential benefits.

In 2016 Alaska's Red Dog Mine officially released 756 million pounds of toxic chemicals, and residents in a native village 50 miles away are worried they're being contaminated.

Mansa Abu Bakr II had departed on a large fleet of ships to explore the Atlantic Ocean, and never returned. Mansa Musa inherited a kingdom that was already wealthy, but his work in expanding trade made Mali the wealthiest kingdom in Africa. His riches came from mining significant salt and gold deposits in the Mali kingdom.

Sedimentary rocks are one of three main types of rocks, along with igneous and metamorphic. They are formed on or near the Earth's surface from the compression of ocean sediments or other processes.

A twenty-first century Yukon "gold rush" is threatening the pristine Peel watershed, but Canada's First Nations are negotiating a land-use plan that protects its wildlife, water, and habitat. Use this activity to explore an unspoiled watershed and the potential impact of mining on the system.

Petroleum is an ingredient in thousands of everyday items. The gasoline that we depend on for transportation to school, work, or vacation comes from crude oil. A barrel of petroleum produces about 72 liters (19 gallons) of gasoline, and is used by people all over the world to power cars, boats, jets, and scooters.

The Dramatic Impact of Illegal Amber Mining in Ukraine's Wild West. A chaotic scene in Ukraine has miners pitted against each other and the government, often with deadly consequences and ...

The California Gold Rush of 1849 is a universal topic of study in courses surveying U.S. history, but what is commonly known about gold mining practices in nineteenth-century ia? Two chancery causes found during the reprocessing of Albemarle County chancery court records shed some light on ia gold mining …

Eucalyptus leaves might serve as the gold miner's best friend, with gold drawn from the depths, researchers report, draping the humble gum trees.

Wild Chronicles travels to Bristol Bay, site of a proposed gold - mining pit, and the center of raging debate. Geologists claim there are billions of dollars worth of gold to be had, but biologists fear a devastating spill of toxic mining chemicals could threaten the wild sockeye salmon population.

Alleged Massacre of Uncontacted Tribe Linked to Gold Mining. As an investigation continues into the possible murder of Arrow People in the western Amazon, agents blow up mining dredges on a remote ...

Join Idris Elba on an adventure that explores gold's meaning and contribution to societies and economies the world over. Discover gold's transformational power.