Yellowstone Has A Supervolcanoe That Could Help Power America's Future

SeaBreeze

SeaBreeze

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Thought this was interesting. https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/yellowstone-park-supervolcano-help-power-americas-future/
Hannah Osborne
Posted with permission from Newsweek

Electric cars and smartphones of the future could be powered by supervolcanoes like Yellowstone after scientists discovered that ancient deposits within them contain huge reservoirs of lithium—a chemical element used to make lithium-ore batteries, supplies of which are increasingly dwindling.

Lithium, a soft white metal first discovered in 1817 by Johan August Arfvedson, has become widely used in manufacturing, most importantly in the production of rechargeable batteries for phones, laptops, cameras and vehicles. It has also been used in psychiatric treatments and to produce nuclear weapons.

Most of the world’s lithium currently comes from Australia and Chile, generally being extracted from brines, pegmatites (igneous rock) and sedimentary rocks. But it is a finite resource, and with car manufactures and technology companies increasingly looking to create battery-powered devices, lithium is becoming an ever-more precious metal, with demand outstripping supply.

In a study published in the journal Nature Communications, researchers from Stanford University and the U.S. Geological Survey have found a new potential source for lithium—within America’s supervolcanoes.

These volcanoes are capable of producing huge eruptions, about 1,000 times bigger than average. Along with the famous Yellowstone caldera, there are three other supervolcanoes in the U.S., Crater Lake, Long Valley and Valles Caldera.
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My first thought is to let sleeping volcanoes lie.

However producing electricity from hot underground rocks is a proven technology.
So is tapping the steam but I'd be wary of doing it with an active volcano.
 
That was my first thought too Warri, but I agree it would be beneficial if done in a prudent way.
 

I remember some discussions from a few years ago where a utility company wanted to tap into the Yellowstone caldera to extract geothermal energy to generate electricity. As I recall, there were concerns raised that drilling into this lava pit might upset its delicate balance and trigger an eruption. Much the same might be said about any attempt to harvest Lithium from the caldera. Yellowstone is already well past the time it should have erupted...based upon historical calculations....and I doubt that any corporation should be allowed to "experiment" with that potentially deadly volcano. One day, it will wipe out much of the U.S., and I don't think we need anything that might hasten that day.
 
I don't want to hasten that day either Don, I hope it rests in peace at least until I'm resting in peace. :disturbed:
 
Very interesting article SeaBreeze. Lithium is very powerful; I have a smoke alarm battery made from it and it's been in there at least 5 years.
 
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2008/apr/22/renewableenergy.alternativeenergy

Geothermal water is used to heat around 90% of Iceland's homes, and keeps pavements and car parks snow-free in the winter. Hot water from the springs is cooled and pumped from boreholes that vary between 200 and 2,000m straight into the taps of nearby homes, negating the need for hot water heating. It's also purified and cooled to provide cold drinking water.
While the government believes that exploiting geothermal energy for space heating alone saves Iceland $100m (£50m) in imported fossil fuels each year, it also means less CO2 emissions.
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