$540 Billion Treasure Hidden Beneath California Lake – Can It Be Extracted?

California’s Salton Sea, the state’s largest lake, contains a massive deposit of lithium, often referred to as “white gold” due to its significant economic value, estimated to be nearly $540 billion.

Funded by the Department of Energy, scientists have been exploring the Salton Sea to gauge the extent of lithium deposits at its bottom. These deposits are so vast that they could potentially produce batteries for about 382 million electric vehicles, positioning the United States as a leader in battery chemistry.

Michael McKibben, a geochemistry professor at the University of California and one of the 22 authors of the research, noted that this deposit is one of the world’s largest lithium brine sources. He suggested that exploiting this resource could make the U.S. entirely self-sufficient in lithium, eliminating the need to import it from countries like China.

Governor Gavin Newsom has even likened the Salton Sea to the “Saudi Arabia of lithium,” underscoring its potential to be the world’s largest lithium resource.

Despite the optimism, extracting lithium from the Salton Sea presents significant challenges. Sammy Roth, a climate journalist from the LA Times, discussed on KJZZ radio that the lithium, if successfully harvested, could supply enough batteries for more vehicles than currently exist in the United States. However, the extraction process involves complex geothermal production wells that would pull lithium-rich brine from deep beneath the earth’s surface. After lithium is extracted from the brine, the remaining liquid must be re-injected underground.

This extraction process poses risks not only to the environment but also to the local community. About 180,000 people live near the Salton Sea, and the drilling activities could potentially affect their water supply, which is sourced from the Colorado River. Thus, while the lithium reserves hold immense potential, the practicalities of extraction carry inherent risks and difficulties.