McDermitt Caldera in Oregon is attracting attention for what could be one of the largest lithium deposits ever identified in the United States. Many view it as a potential boost for domestic battery production, while local communities voice concern over the impact on wildlife and cultural sites.
The excitement stems from estimates that value the deposit at about $1.5 trillion. Some geologists say these ancient volcanic sediments could contain between 20 and 40 million metric tons of lithium.
“This feature is 16 million years old, and we’re making decisions in a matter of years,” said Sammy Castonguay, a geologist at Treasure Valley Community College. Castonguay’s statement has stirred local debate over how the development might reshape the high desert. Industry advocates see a path to addressing the ballooning need for electric vehicle batteries.
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The planet’s largest-known lithium deposit may have been found hiding beneath an ancient super volcano along the Nevada–Oregon border in the US. Given the skyrocketing demand for lithium, this deposit could be a treasure trove – although obtaining it could come with a bunch of challenges and dangers.
An estimated 20 to 40 million metric tons of lithium is thought to be contained within sediments of the McDermitt caldera, a caldron-like depression that formed as a result of the volcano erupting and then collapsing on itself. The caldera is found in southeastern Oregon and northern Nevada, taking up a vast portion of land around 45 kilometers (28 miles) long and 35 kilometers (22 miles) wide.
If this estimate is correct, it would mean the McDermitt caldera holds the record for the biggest lithium deposition in the world, beating Bolivia's salt flats, which hold around 23 million tons.
“If you believe their back-of-the-envelope estimation, this is a very, very significant deposit of lithium,’ Anouk Borst, a geologist at KU Leuven University and the Royal Museum for Central Africa in Tervuren, Belgium, told Chemistry World. READ MORE...
