Geologists have recently made a significant discovery that could potentially be the world's largest lithium deposit, reports Stacy Liberatore, in an article appearing on the DailyMail.com website, on Monday. This remarkable find was unearthed within an ancient supervolcano located along the Nevada-Oregon border in the United States.
The article asserts that extensive clay deposits containing an estimated 40 million metric tons of this highly valued metal have been identified within the expansive 28-mile-long McDermitt Caldera. Remarkably, according to the article, this quantity nearly doubles the amount found in Bolivia's renowned salt flats, which held the record for the most lithium deposits.
Although these estimates are based on preliminary findings and no drilling has been conducted yet, scientists have been observing the presence of substantial lithium concentrations within the caldera since the 1970s, writes Liberatore.
This intriguing discovery holds immense potential for further exploration and research in the field of lithium extraction and utilization.
The article notes that as of 2022, the average battery-grade lithium carbonate price was $37,000 per metric ton, meaning the volcano is potentially sitting on $1.48 trillion worth of the precious metal.
Canada-based Lithium Americas Corporation plans to begin mining as early as 2026, mine the region for the next 40 years, and then backfill the pit. However, the plan has been criticized due to the environmental impact of mining and claims that the site is on sacred Native American land.
Lithium is a critical component for batteries that power everything from smartphones to electric vehicles and solar panels - and China has dominated the market for decades because 90 percent of the metal mined is refined in the nation.
The article quotes, Anouk Borst, a geologist at KU Leuven University who was not involved in the study but told Chemistry World, a magazine and online publication that focuses on all aspects of chemistry.
"If you believe their back-of-the-envelope estimation, this is a very, very significant deposit of lithium," Borst said. "It could change the dynamics of lithium globally, in terms of price, security of supply and geopolitics."
Stacy Liberatore is the Deputy Science and Technology Editor at DailyMail.com. She covers topics including space, climate change, artificial intelligence, and archaeological discoveries. Read her full article below and learn more about this potential lithium discovery (as well as peruse insightful infographics about the McDermitt Caldera).
Maverick Recommends
- Daily Mail News Article - World's biggest lithium reservoir found in supervolcano McDermitt Caldera in Nevada - with $1.5trillion worth of the precious metal that powers world's technology
- McDermitt Caldera - Visit the Wikipedia page here and learn more about it.
- Politico Website Article - The importance of lithium in the transition to a carbon-free world
About Maverick
"Maverick" is the callsign of Mobile Gnosis Publisher and Managing Editor Matt DeReno.