A deposit estimated to hold between 20 to 40 million metric tons of lithium has been discovered at the McDermitt Caldera crater along the Nevada-Oregon border, which could make it the largest ever …
A lithium deposit discovered in a volcanic crater along the Nevada-Oregon border may hold up to 40 million metric tons of the rare metal — possibly the largest ever in the world, which could have a massive impact on the electric vehicle industry, according to a new study. The deposit hidden within the McDermitt Caldera is estimated to hold between 20 million and 40 million metric tons, which would be nearly double the current record of about 23 million metric tons found over the summer beneath a Bolivian salt flat, researchers reported in Science Advances. It would also greatly boost America's overall lithium reserves, which were previously estimated at a paltry 1 million metric tons. Belgian geologist Anouk Borst said that if the estimate proves true, the sudden overabundance of American lithium — the metal sought after by electric vehicle makers — could have global impacts. A deposit estimated to hold between 20 million and 40 million metric tons of lithium has been discovered at the McDermitt Caldera crater along the Nevada-Oregon border. A construction worker builds a pipeline for the Lithium Nevada Corp at the Thacker Pass deposit.…