Scientists have identified what may be the world’s largest lithium deposit beneath an ancient volcanic crater straddling the Nevada-Oregon border, with an estimated value exceeding $1.5 trillion.
The discovery, centered in the McDermitt caldera—a massive volcanic formation created 16.4 million years ago—reveals concentrations of lithium-rich clay that could hold between 20 and 40 million metric tons of the critical battery metal.
Researchers attribute the deposit’s formation to hydrothermal activity long after the supervolcano’s eruption, when mineral-laden fluids leached lithium from volcanic glass and transported it into ancient lake sediments now transformed into claystone.
Using the U.S. Average contract price for lithium carbonate of approximately $37,000 per ton, the estimated resource translates to a value nearing $1.5 trillion, significantly surpassing earlier assessments citing 400 billion euros.
The same research group highlights that global lithium demand could reach one million tons annually by 2040—eight times the 2022 output—underscoring the strategic importance of such a concentrated domestic source for the energy transition.
Environmental considerations remain significant, as extraction in the arid region could require over 1.6 billion gallons of water annually, posing challenges in one of the driest parts of the United States.
