Tracking the Source of Illegal Sand Mining

Sand might seem like an everyday material, but we're running out of it for industrial uses — and that means people are willing to mine it illegally (or worse) to make money.

Rocky Planet iconRocky Planet
By Erik Klemetti
Oct 29, 2020 1:00 PMOct 29, 2020 5:39 PM
Sand mining in India
A small boat working sand mines in Vembanattu Lake near Kerala, India. (Credit: Wikimedia Commons)

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Sand. It's everywhere. Or it feels that way. You see it at the beach, at the playground, along the road, at the river, in the parking lot. It is also hidden in the concrete of your office, in your smartphone screen, in the pavement of your driveway. We use a lot of sand every year — and it has to come from somewhere.

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