Geologists have refocused their attention on a large area of high desert in northern Nevada and southern Oregon. Researchers discovered substantial lithium mineralisation in clay-rich layers beneath the McDermitt caldera, an old supervolcano that occurred approximately 16.4 million years ago. Recent research imply that the resource could be one of the world's greatest lithium clay deposits. At Thacker Pass alone, measured and inferred resources are expected to be 533 million tonnes of ore grading around 0.29 percent lithium, equivalent to more than 1.5 million tonnes of contained lithium. Broader evaluations imply that the caldera may retain substantially more, with an in situ worth in the trillions of dollars based on current market assumptions.
If confirmed at scale, the find could reshape US battery supply chains, reduce reliance on imports, and play a major role in the push toward electric vehicles and large-scale energy storage.
