Establishing a sustainable lithium supply chain for electric vehicle batteries and grid storage worldwide requires environmentally-friendly lithium extraction methods. Volcano sedimentary lithium resources, typically shallow and high-tonnage deposits with minimal waste, hold promise in meeting these criteria.
Recently, a breakthrough discovery suggests that the United States (US) may have serendipitously discovered the world's largest deposit of this nature, potentially revolutionizing lithium sourcing for clean energy technologies.
In the study, titled "Hydrothermal Enrichment of Lithium in Intracaldera Illite-Bearing Claystones" published in Science Advances, researchers estimate that the volcanic crater on the Nevada-Oregon border called McDermitt Caldera harbors 20 to 40 mllion metric tons of lithium.
Based on these latest estimates, the McDermitt Caldera contains a staggering amount of lithium, surpassing even the lithium reserves found in Bolivia's renowned salt flats, which house approximately 23 million tons.
To read more, click here.