Karl, N.A., Mauk, J.L., Reyes, T.A., and Scott, P.C., 2019, Lithium Deposits in the United States: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9ZKRWQF.
This dataset is part of an ongoing effort by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to understand the attributes and geologic distribution of critical mineral resources, especially those in the United States. The United States continues to become more dependent on imports to meet the domestic demands for an increasing number of mineral commodities. Many mineral commodities are now produced primarily or entirely outside of the United States, creating the potential for supply interruptions in the foreseeable future or in the long term. These important but highly dependent mineral commodities are deemed critical and (or) strategic resources. As a part of the process set forth by Executive Order 13817, the USGS National Minerals Information Center (NMIC) identified lithium as a critical mineral (Department of the Interior, 2018) due to the import reliance and importance in the sectors of aerospace, defense, energy, telecommunications and electronics and transportation (Fortier and others, 2018). Lithium is mined from brines and pegmatites and is typically the primary commodity, though does occur as a byproduct in some operations such as borate deposits. This dataset was compiled to provide base layers of information that identify and describe the known lithium deposits in the United States. This compilation is intended to contribute to our geologic understanding of lithium deposits in the United States, and to assist in evaluating their resource potential. Department of the Interior, 2018, Final list of critical minerals 2018: Federal Register v. 83, no. 97, p. 23295—23296, https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2018-10667. Fortier, S.M., Nassar, N.T., Lederer, G.W., Brainard, Jamie, Gambogi, Joseph, and McCullough, E.A., 2018, Draft critical mineral list—Summary of methodology and background information—U.S. Geological Survey technical input document in response to Secretarial Order No. 3359: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2018–1021, 15 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20181021.