Looking
north across a lithium brine pond, in which the cinder cone is
reflected. Clayton Valley is the site of the largest lithium mine in
the United States of America. It is an unusual mine in that the lithium
occurs in underground water in sediments that fill the valley. The
lithium-rich water is pumped to the surface and partially evaporated,
past the saturation point for halite (NaCl), the salt that coats the
rocks in the foreground of this picture. The lithium-rich brine is then
processed to produce useful products for batteries, medicines, and
other uses. Contributed by J.G. Price and E.M. Price
|