A lithium metal deposit believed to be the world's largest was discovered inside an ancient mountain in Nevada near the Oregon border. This lithium metal is locked in a layer of mud that is believed to have been formed 16 million years ago after this mountain exploded to create a caldera.
This caldera then became a lake before it dried up within a few hundred thousand years. This lithium then settles into a layer of clay that can now be mined. The researchers who discovered this deposit believe that there are between 20-40 million tons of lithium in this former mountain area and it is larger than the deposit on the salt flats in Bolivia that held the record for the largest deposit before.
This discovery will reduce the concern of the United States to access a very important resource to produce batteries for the needs of electric vehicles and electronic devices. Australia currently holds 47% of the world's lithium production followed by Chile (30%) and China (12%).
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NEWS & FACT