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Geologists Uncover the World’s “Largest Lithium Deposit” Under American Supervolcano, Worth 413 Billion Euros
IRD via MSN ^ | 04 06 2025 | Arezki.A

Posted on 04/08/2025 5:20:03 PM PDT by yesthatjallen

A vast, ancient crater in the western United States may be home to one of the most significant mineral discoveries of the century. Published in the journal Science Advances, researchers have identified a geological formation beneath this site that could dramatically reshape the global landscape for clean energy technology.

A Supervolcano’s Legacy Becomes a Resource Powerhouse

The McDermitt Caldera, measuring 45 by 35 kilometers, was formed 16.4 million years ago following a catastrophic volcanic eruption. Over time, a lake developed inside the caldera, collecting thick layers of volcanic ash and mineral-rich sediments.

These conditions gave rise to lithium-bearing clay minerals, including smectite and, uniquely, illite. What distinguishes this site from other claystone lithium deposits is the exceptional concentration of lithium found in the illite layer at Thacker Pass.

Drill samples revealed lithium concentrations reaching up to 2.4 weight percent, well above the global average for this type of deposit, which typically falls below 0.4 weight percent.

Geologists link this extreme enrichment to a rare, two-stage process. First, lithium-rich volcanic glass was leached by alkaline lake waters, forming magnesian smectite clays.

Later, during a magmatic resurgence about 16.3 million years ago, hydrothermal fluids rich in potassium, fluorine, rubidium, and cesium altered these clays into illite. These fluids traveled through fractures and porous sediment layers, triggering mineral transformation and concentrating lithium levels in the process.

SNIP

(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Military/Veterans; Outdoors; Travel
KEYWORDS: alkaline; brinemining; caldera; cesium; claytonvalley; columbiauniversity; corporation; fluorine; geologists; geology; illite; lithium; lithiumamericas; magnesian; mcdermittcaldera; mineral; mines; mining; naturalresources; nevada; potassium; rareearths; redmountain; rhyoliteridge; rubidium; scienceadvances; smectite; supervolcano; tainiolite; thackerpass; volcanicash; volcanicglass
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To: yesthatjallen

Strip mining a super-volcano? What could go wrong?


21 posted on 04/08/2025 6:14:26 PM PDT by Tallguy
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To: ChessExpert

GM already bought the first 15 years production on this and it’s supposed to be up and running by 2026.


22 posted on 04/08/2025 6:17:38 PM PDT by Axenolith (Very few electric vehicle drivers will survive an apocalypse...)
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To: Tallguy

If we could just get down to the tectonic plates, we’ll be rich!


23 posted on 04/08/2025 6:25:14 PM PDT by BipolarBob (Never attribute malice to that which can be explained by incompetence.)
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To: fidelis

Vulcanism is the study of Spock.


24 posted on 04/08/2025 6:37:20 PM PDT by HYPOCRACY (Long live The Great MAGA Kangz!)
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To: sit-rep

The whole “rare earth minerals” in Ukraine was red herring anyway, as their presence was questionable in some cases and deemed not commercially viable in others. Aside from a small scandium operation, a bunch of nada.


25 posted on 04/08/2025 6:46:29 PM PDT by CatHerd (Whoever said "all's fair in love and war" probably never participated in either.)
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To: CatHerd

ya there isnt much outta ukraine thats truthful. I was actually trying to be funny with that post! I’ll work on that!!


26 posted on 04/08/2025 6:54:10 PM PDT by sit-rep
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To: silent majority rising

Ah, Lepidolite. I haven’t heard that mineral in a while. I remember Spodumene. I wonder if there is lithium in Valles Caldera, right under Los Alamos. Ha.


27 posted on 04/08/2025 6:57:18 PM PDT by crusty old prospector
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To: SkyDancer

“How much energy has to be expended to remove it?”

More than all the windmills and solar cells combined can produce.


28 posted on 04/08/2025 6:58:41 PM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom (Don't be a "PANICAN" or a "PANICRAT")
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To: crusty old prospector

I have not explored over there, but the same thing that caused placer deposits (Gold precipitates out of the metamorphic zone associated with volcanic rock.


29 posted on 04/08/2025 7:07:41 PM PDT by silent majority rising (When it is dark enough, men see the stars. Ralph Waldo Emerson)
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To: yesthatjallen

So we don’t need China or Ukraine’s minerals after all?


30 posted on 04/08/2025 7:10:45 PM PDT by montag813
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To: crusty old prospector

I have not explored over there, but the same thing that caused placer deposits (Gold precipitates out of the metamorphic zone associated with volcanic rock) are all over N M. It will be explored again.


31 posted on 04/08/2025 7:10:56 PM PDT by silent majority rising (When it is dark enough, men see the stars. Ralph Waldo Emerson)
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To: crusty old prospector

I have not explored over there, but the same thing that caused placer deposits (Gold precipitates out of the metamorphic zone associated with volcanic rock) are all over N M. It will be explored again.


32 posted on 04/08/2025 7:10:56 PM PDT by silent majority rising (When it is dark enough, men see the stars. Ralph Waldo Emerson)
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To: yesthatjallen; ridesthemiles

Ping!..............


33 posted on 04/08/2025 7:11:08 PM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
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To: crusty old prospector

I have not explored over there, but the same thing that caused placer deposits (Gold precipitates out of the metamorphic zone associated with volcanic rock) are all over N M. It will be explored again.


34 posted on 04/08/2025 7:14:38 PM PDT by silent majority rising (When it is dark enough, men see the stars. Ralph Waldo Emerson)
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To: yesthatjallen

35 posted on 04/08/2025 7:15:18 PM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
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To: yesthatjallen

“The Dwarves dug too greedily and too deep.”


36 posted on 04/08/2025 7:22:18 PM PDT by Flag_This (They're lying.)
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To: oldasrocks

So if Yellowstone erupts we will have centuries worth of Lithium?
______________________________________________________

Don’t give them any ideas about triggering the volcano! If that blows, it will be YUGE!


37 posted on 04/08/2025 7:51:54 PM PDT by KittyKares
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To: yesthatjallen

When the EV bubble bursts, this will end up being a giant MEH...


38 posted on 04/08/2025 8:05:45 PM PDT by rottndog (What comes after America?)
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To: yesthatjallen

thank goodness that this stuff wasn’t discovered in california, or our Republic would never be allowed to access it ...


39 posted on 04/08/2025 8:13:05 PM PDT by catnipman ((A Vote For The Lesser Of Two Evils Still Counts As A Vote For Evil))
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To: yesthatjallen

There is nothing clean about Lithium. Not mining it or using it. It is a toxic poison.


40 posted on 04/08/2025 8:47:18 PM PDT by Revel
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