A recent study has revealed that the United States may have stumbled upon the world’s largest lithium reserve by chance, this discovery comes amid a global race to secure this essential mineral for manufacturing the batteries that power electric vehicles.
The study, published in the journal “Science Advances,” estimates that McDermitt Caldera, a volcanic crater on the border of Nevada and Oregon, contains a massive quantity of lithium ranging between 20 and 40 million metric tons.
Based on these new estimates, the lithium reserves in McDermitt Caldera dwarf the approximately 23 million metric tons found in the salt flats of Bolivia, making it a potential game-changer in the global and economic dynamics of lithium, including pricing, supply security, and political geography.
It’s worth noting that some of the world’s richest lithium deposits are found in saline solutions, however, the lithium in McDermitt Caldera, especially in the southern part known as Thacker Pass in Nevada, is trapped in clay.
McDermitt Caldera was formed after a massive volcanic eruption approximately 16.4 million years ago, which led to the accumulation of significant amounts of lithium and other minerals.
Subsequently, Caldera Lake formed, where a layer of lithium-associated sediments was deposited, today, these sediments have a depth of over 600 feet, resulting in a substance known as “smectite.”
However, this clay was just the beginning, a hot saline solution containing additional lithium was injected into the smectite, further enriching it with lithium, now, the clay has transformed into a lithium-rich ore known as “Elite.”
Despite this significant discovery, lithium extraction raises environmental concerns, as it can potentially emit large amounts of carbon dioxide, pollute groundwater with heavy metals, and involve the waste of fossil fuels, it’s essential to consider these environmental impacts as we move towards greater use of clean energy and electric vehicles.
Given the controversy surrounding this project, environmentalists and Native American communities have attempted to prevent mining in the area, arguing that it violates environmental laws, nevertheless, a federal court rejected their appeal, and workers have now begun construction at the site this week.
