Discovery helps the world in its search of lithium

The supervolcano was formed 16 million years ago!

Southernmost rim of crater has the highest proportions

Supervolcano McDermitt Caldera, situated on the Nevada-Oregon border is a repository of lithium! It is believed that the crater has 20 to 40 million tonnes of lithium in it! This means it has more than twice the concentration found anywhere else in the world. 

What this also means is that it comes as a blessing for the United States which is largely dependent on China for the ‘white gold’. 

The discovery can go a long way in dealing with the metal as the world is in dire need of batteries made out of lithium. As the world transitions to electric vehicles, batteries play a pivotal role in it. And on the other side, lithium too plays a major role in the production of batteries. 

As per reports, by 2040, the world will need 1 million tonnes of lithium metal. 

The project is owned by Lithium Nevada, which funded the recent research into the caldera’s potential as a giant lithium reserve. 

When the supervolcano erupted

As per reports, the supervolcano erupted 16 million years ago. And the southernmost rim of the crater, has the highest proportions of the metal. 

Magma coming out of the supervolcano enriched the soil with lithium, reports note further.