A Newly Discovered $1.5 Trillion Lithium Deposit Inside A Super Volcano
Sixteen million years ago, a massive supervolcano erupted in what is now northern Nevada and southeastern Oregon, forming the McDermitt Caldera and laying the geological foundation for one of the largest lithium discoveries in the world. Beneath this ancient caldera, geologists have identified a clay-hosted lithium deposit valued in headlines at up to $1.5 trillion, potentially transforming the global lithium supply chain. This blog explores how Miocene supervolcanic activity, caldera collapse, closed basin lake systems, and long-term sedimentary alteration combined to concentrate lithium into a world-class resource. From Yellowstone hotspot volcanism to modern electric vehicle batteries and grid-scale energy storage, the McDermitt Caldera connects deep-time geology with the future of renewable energy and global geopolitics.











