Nicholas LePan, Author at Visual Capitalist

Visualizing the Abundance of Elements in the Earth’s Crust

The Earth's crust makes up 1% of the planet's volume, but provides all the material we use. What elements make up this thin layer we stand...

Mining3 years ago

Rare Earth Elements: Where in the World Are They?

Rare earth elements are the critical ingredients for a greener economy, making their reserves increasingly valuable to global supply chains.

Visualizing the Journey of a Mining Entrepreneur

Visualizing the Journey of a Mining Entrepreneur Mining may be an industry nearly as old as humankind itself, but the process of how a patch of...

Misc3 years ago

Visualizing the Gravitational Pull of the Planets

This unique animation, created by a planetary astronomer, compares and highlights the gravitational pull of the planets.

The New Era of Commodity Trading

This infographic explores the evolution of commodity trading and exchanges as the world transitions to clean energy.

Mining4 years ago

How to Avoid Common Mistakes With Mining Stocks (Part 5: Funding Strength)

A mining company’s past projects and funding strength are interlinked. This infographic outlines how a company's ability to raise capital can determine the fate of a...

Mining4 years ago

Listing Requirements: From Junior Explorer to Global Mining Company

The journey from a junior miner to a global company is a long route that requires a lot of money. This infographic outlines the listing requirements...

Green4 years ago

Visualizing Countries by Share of Earth’s Surface

There are 510 million km² of area on the Earth, but less than 30% of this is land. Here's the share countries make up of the...

Mining4 years ago

More Than Precious: Silver’s Role in the New Energy Era (Part 3 of 3)

Long known as a precious metal, silver in solar and EV technologies will redefine its role and importance to a greener economy.

Green4 years ago

Visualizing the Human Impact on the Earth’s Surface

Nearly 95% of the Earth’s surface shows some form of human modification, with 85% bearing evidence of multiple forms of human impact.

Mining4 years ago

How to Avoid Common Mistakes With Mining Stocks (Part 4: Project Quality)

Mining is a technical field that manages complex factors from geology to engineering. These details can make or break a project.

Mining4 years ago

Volatile Returns: Commodity Investing Through Miners and Explorers

The companies that mine or explore for metals offer additional leverage to commodity prices, creating opportunities for astute investors.

Mining4 years ago

How to Avoid Common Mistakes With Mining Stocks (Part 3: Jurisdiction)

“Location, location, location…” This famous real estate adage also matters in mining. After all, it’s an industry that is all about the geology—but beyond the physical...

Mining4 years ago

Silver Bulls: Visualizing the Price of Silver

Silver has always proved its value throughout history. From ancient coins to jewelry, silver retains its value and goes through tough times.

Mining4 years ago

The Impact of COVID-19 Shutdowns on the Gold Supply Chain

Chains are only as strong as their weakest link. The COVID-19 shutdowns affected every link in the gold supply chain, from producers to end-users.

Politics4 years ago

Visualizing the True Size of Land Masses from Largest to Smallest

Maps can distort the size and shape of countries. This visualization puts the true size of land masses together from biggest to smallest.

Mining4 years ago

How to Avoid Common Mistakes With Mining Stocks (Part 2: Business Plan)

Investing in mining stocks may seem like luck of the draw, but the sector can be de-risked by asking the right questions. Here we look at...

Misc4 years ago

Visualizing the Power and Frequency of Earthquakes

Our planet is in a constant state of creation and destruction as the plates of the earth collide. This visualization looks at earthquake magnitude.

Mining4 years ago

Golden Bulls: Visualizing the Price of Gold from 1915-2020

We break down gold's three major bull markets over the last century. This includes the current one, in which gold has hit 8-year highs.

Energy4 years ago

6 Ways Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Can Help Transition to Clean Energy

Here are six reasons why hydrogen and fuel cells can be a fit for helping with the transition to a lower-emission energy mix.

Mining4 years ago

Gold in Nevada: The Real Golden State

Nevada accounts for 84% of U.S. gold production today. Here's a look at the state's rich history, its prolific production, and what the future may hold.

Mining4 years ago

Mapped: The Geology of the Moon in Astronomical Detail

Behold the glory of the Unified Geologic Map of the Moon, which brings decades of data into one map, revealing the potential for exploration.

Energy4 years ago

The New Energy Era: The Impact of Critical Minerals on National Security

The U.S. finds itself in a precarious position, depending largely on China and other foreign nations for the critical minerals needed in the new energy era.

Technology4 years ago

Visualizing the Length of the Fine Print, for 14 Popular Apps

We visualize the length of service agreements from popular apps, by counting the words and calculating how long it would take to read them.

Inequality4 years ago

Visualizing the Footprint of Highways in American Cities

Highways improved mobility for the average American, ingraining the automobile into the urban fabric of American cities, for better and worse.

Healthcare4 years ago

Ranked: Global Pandemic Preparedness by Country

This interesting pre-COVID19 report ranked countries by their level of preparedness for the outbreak of infectious diseases and pandemics

Healthcare5 years ago

Visualizing the History of Pandemics

The history of pandemics, from the Antonine Plague to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) event, ranked by their impact on human life.

Mining5 years ago

All the World’s Metals and Minerals in One Visualization

This massive infographic reveals the dramatic scale of 2019 non-fuel mineral global production.

Uncategorized5 years ago

Silver Series: Perfect Storm for Silver (Part 2 of 3)

In the second part of the Silver Series, we show that the supply and demand fundamentals are potentially shaping up for a perfect storm in silver...

Business5 years ago

Flying High: The Top Ten Airline Routes by Revenue

This visualization tracks the high-value routes that generate the most revenue for airlines – primarily links between the world's financial centers

Misc5 years ago

A Map of Every Object in Our Solar System

Our solar system is a surprisingly crowded place. This incredible map shows the 18,000 asteroids, comets, planets and moons orbiting the Sun.

Misc5 years ago

As the Worlds Turn: Visualizing the Rotation of Planets

Rotation can have a big influence on a planet's habitability. These animations show how each planet in the solar system moves to its own distinct rhythm.

Markets5 years ago

Everything You Need to Know About Recessions

The economic cycle is a series of peaks and valleys. Analyzing economic data going back to 1950 helps put recessions into perspective.

Misc5 years ago

Timelapse Maps: An Overview of Our Changing Planet

From rapid urbanization to retreating glaciers, these timelapsed satellite maps capture the drastic changes the Earth's surface has undergone.

Energy5 years ago

Growth and Decline: Visualizing U.S. Population Change by County

Rural counties across the U.S. are losing residents as large cities and the coasts are growing. This map shows U.S. population change by county.

Misc5 years ago

Santa’s New Home: The North Pole is Moving to Russia

Is someone stealing Christmas? It isn't the Grinch or Putin stealing Santa’s workshop, but Earth's natural processes that are moving the North Pole.

Energy5 years ago

Breaking the Ice: Mapping a Changing Arctic

As the Arctic becomes more accessible due to reduced ice cover, countries with polar real estate increasingly viewing the region through an economic lens.

Mining5 years ago

The New Energy Era: The Lithium-Ion Supply Chain

Is the U.S. positioned to win the battery arms race, or will China remain in control of the world's transition to renewable energy?

Energy5 years ago

Soaking up the Sun: Visualizing the Changing Patterns of Daylight in One Year

The length of your days can change depending on the seasons, and where you are on Earth. Watch how these patterns unfold over a year.

Financing5 years ago

The History of Interest Rates Over 670 Years

Interest rates sit near generational lows — is this the new normal, or has it been the trend all along? We show a history of interest...

Energy5 years ago

Mapped: The World’s Biggest Oil Discoveries Since 1868

Since 1868, there had been 1,232 oil discoveries over 500 million barrels of oil. This map plots these discoveries to reveal global energy hot spots.

Investor Education5 years ago

Human Insight, Computer Power: What is Quantamental Investing?

The world is awash in data that can offer valuable investment insights. Quantamental investing blends two investment approaches to tackle a complex world.