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USGS uses machine learning to show large lithium potential in Arkansas

(www.usgs.gov)
337 points antidnan | 2 comments | 22 Oct 24 17:05 UTC | HN request time: 0.5s | source
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voidUpdate ◴[23 Oct 24 13:15 UTC] No.41924755[source]▶
> "the amount of lithium present would meet projected 2030 world demand for lithium in car batteries nine times over"

Does that mean the entire field has enough lithium for the requirements of 2030, 9 times? Or in other words, it can supply the lithium needs of car batteries from 2030 to 2039? That's not particularly long...

replies(1): >>41925038 #
1. bitmasher9 ◴[23 Oct 24 13:47 UTC] No.41925038[source]▶
Lithium is infinitely recyclable. We cannot really predict lithium demand in 2039, because technology changes much.

Look at steel. Most of the steel used is recycled steel, we don’t mine a lot of it any more. If you asked someone 90 years ago, they would have assumed global steel demand would continue to rise.

replies(1): >>41926265 #
2. asdflkjvlkj ◴[23 Oct 24 15:49 UTC] No.41926265[source]▶
In the USA, most steel is recycled. Most of the rest of the world uses basic oxygen furnace by wide margin.