Largest Lithium Deposit Ever—Worth $1.5 Trillion
In the high desert along the Nevada–Oregon border, a quiet basin formed by an ancient supervolcano is rapidly becoming a global focal point. Hidden beneath the McDermitt Caldera lies what scientists now believe is the world’s largest known deposit of lithium, the element driving the battery revolution behind electric vehicles, smartphones, and renewable energy storage. This site, called Thacker Pass, is already reshaping how geologists think about mineral formation in volcanic terrains. Early findings estimate the deposit could hold 20 to 40 million metric tons of lithium—potentially more than double Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni, long considered the planet’s largest source. If fully confirmed and extracted, the lithium buried here could power hundreds of millions of EVs and make the United States a key player in the clean energy economy. But the mine sits at the heart of a collision between mineral demand and environmental and cultural preservation. The project, backed by billions in fe...