- Welcome to the “Dig a Little Deeper,” a virtual lab that takes you inside the world of copper mining, as you join a team of scientists who must choose which of three potential sites to build a copper mine. In order to make this decision, you must conduct the same tests that an exploration geologist, environmental scientist, and mining engineer do during the exploration phase of mining. Once your tests are complete, you will make a recommendation to a mining company about which site has the greatest number of benefits and the fewest trade-offs.