There could be enough lithium in an ancient seabed below southwest Arkansas to “meet projected 2030 world demand for lithium in car batteries nine times over,” a United States Geological Survey (USGS)-led study has found.
The study, a collaborative initiative between the USGS and the Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment’s Office of the State Geologist, used a combination of water testing and machine learning to determine that there are between 5 and 19 metric tons of lithium within the Arkla Basin’s Smackover Formation, a seabed of porous, permeable limestone beneath parts of Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas, Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida.
“Lithium is a critical mineral for the energy transition, and the potential for increased U.S. production to replace imports has implications for employment, manufacturing and supply-chain resilience,” USGS Director David Applegate said in an Oct. 21 statement. “This study illustrates the value of science in addressing economically important issues.”…