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Ancient Supervolcano in US May Hide Largest Lithium Deposit Ever Found

https://www.sciencealert.com/ancient-supervolcano-in-us-may-hide-largest-lithium-deposit-ever-found

The project is owned by Lithium Nevada, LLC, a subsidiary of Lithium Americas Corporation (LAC), which funded the recent research.

According to the company's latest review, the caldera's southernmost rim, including Thacker Pass, contains the highest concentrations of lithium in the region.
Most of the caldera's clay is called magnesium smectite, which is a known source of lithium elsewhere in the world.

But towards the southernmost rim of the caldera, researchers have found an unusual type of clay, called illite, that is especially concentrated with lithium.

"If you believe their back-of-the-envelope estimation, this is a very, very significant deposit of lithium,' Anouk Borst, a geologist who was not involved in the study, told Chemistry World.

"It could change the dynamics of lithium globally, in terms of price, security of supply, and geopolitics."