Located in the McDermitt Caldera, which runs along the border of Nevada and Oregon, the lithium is believed to have been created by the explosion of a super volcano 16 million years ago. Although a final count has yet to be confirmed, estimates suggest that it could contain as much as 120 million tons of lithium, which would be a boon for the EV industry.
This would mean that the caldera contains around 12 times more of the mineral than the salt flats in Bolivia, which were previously thought to be the world's largest deposit, according to The Independent. Even better, according to the researchers behind the discovery, it's not just a lot of lithium, it's a concentrated supply.
“Volcano sedimentary lithium resources […] tend to be shallow, high-tonnage deposits with low waste:ore strip ratios,” write the researchers in an article published by the journal Science Advances. “Illite-bearing Miocene lacustrine sediments within the southern portion of McDermitt caldera (USA) at Thacker Pass contain extremely high lithium grades.”
This could be good news for the U.S., which has never had access to a major lithium deposit. The government will have to take into account that two tribes on the Nevada side of the caldera claim that a mine would be built on sacred land, while other groups protest the potential environmental impact of such activities.
However, if the company can work with stakeholders, Americas Corporation geologists believe mining could begin in 2026. If that happens, it could help meet future demand from the electric vehicle industry, which is expected to grow eightfold by 2040.
Source: The Independent
