Report: An ancient supervolcano in the US is believed to contain a huge deposit of lithium

A remarkable discovery suggests that the McDermitt Caldera, an ancient supervolcano located on the Nevada-Oregon border in the US, may contain an enormous lithium deposit with global significance. This caldera is believed to house between 20 to 40 million tonnes of lithium deposits, more than double the concentration found anywhere else globally, according to a recent study.

This discovery holds transformative potential for the United States, as it has traditionally relied on China for its lithium supply. The increasing global demand for lithium, which experts estimate will require 1 million tonnes of lithium metal by 2040, eight times the production of 2022, has spurred the search for domestic sources of this critical alkali metal.

Lithium has earned the moniker of ‘white gold’ due to its pivotal role in battery manufacturing, particularly for electric vehicles, wind turbines, and solar panels. It is seen as a linchpin in the global shift away from fossil fuels, although it presents its own ecological challenges.

The process of extracting lithium through mining can have detrimental effects on ecosystems, groundwater depletion, and the generation of significant waste. Concerns have arisen regarding the US government’s approval of a new mine within the McDermitt Caldera, situated on land that supports precious wildlife habitats and holds sacred significance for indigenous communities.

Lithium Nevada, the company behind this project, financed the recent research into the caldera’s potential as a massive lithium reserve. Their calculations pinpoint the caldera’s southernmost rim, including an area known as Thacker Pass, as the area with the highest lithium concentrations.

The study suggests that when the supervolcano erupted around 16 million years ago, hot liquid magma penetrated the earth’s cracks and fissures, enriching the clay soil with lithium. Another resurgence of magma occurred after the caldera’s ancient lake dried up, leading to the formation of a unique type of clay around Thacker Pass known as illite, which is exceptionally lithium-rich.

Anouk Borst, a geologist, emphasized the groundbreaking nature of this lithium deposit near Nevada, stating that it “could change the dynamics of lithium globally, in terms of price, security of supply, and geopolitics.”