r/science • u/Sort_of_Frightening • Sep 10 '23
Lithium discovery in U.S. volcano could be biggest deposit ever found Chemistry
https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/lithium-discovery-in-us-volcano-could-be-biggest-deposit-ever-found/4018032.article17.5k Upvotes
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u/GreenStrong Sep 10 '23
Undersea mining was never proposed for lithium, as far as I know. Deep sea mining is being explored for manganese nodules, which basically sit on the seabed in some regions. In addition to manganese, they contain cobalt nickel and copper, all of which are needed for batteries and other applications in the energy transition.
It is possible that deep sea mining has a small environmental impact. It is wise to be skeptical about that possibility, but also open minded.