A visual summary of the USGS lithium database: where the deposits are, which mines produced the metal, how big the remaining resources are — and how American lithium output rose, faded, and is being reborn. All values in metric tons of contained elemental lithium (Li) unless noted.
61
Mapped features · 5 states
72.6k t
Metric tons Li produced (reported)
12.76 Mt
Metric tons Li in resources
6
Peak active features (1969)
01Where it is
Features by State
Count of mapped features per state, split by feature
group. Arkansas holds 49% of the national total — the Smackover
brine field. Units: number of features.
Mineral occurrence
Mine feature
Mineral region
Segment labels & bar totals = features
02The workhorses
Top Lithium Producers
Cumulative reported production by mine feature, with the
last reported production year. Silver Peak outproduced the other three
mines combined. Units: metric tons Li.
Bar-end labels: production, t Li · last year reported
03Still in the ground
Largest Reported Resources
Top deposits by largest reported resource (all classes;
classes may overlap between records). Units: metric tons Li.
Bar-end labels: resource, t Li · reported class
04How it formed
Deposit Models
Features assigned to each mineral deposit model.
Brine and sedimentary systems dominate American lithium. Units:
features classified (of 27 total).
05Textures
Mineralization Styles
Reported styles of mineralization across mineral
occurrences. Units: occurrences.
06Boom & fade
Active Features Over Time
Features reporting an Active status in each
year, 1873–2019. Silver Peak has been continuously active since 1967.
Units: active features.
Key Takeaways
Two states carry the map. Arkansas (30) and Nevada (15) hold 74% of all 61 mapped features — most of it the Smackover brine field.
One mine still runs. Silver Peak, NV is the only continuously active lithium mine — 47,471 t Li (65% of all reported U.S. output) from 1967–2017.
The resource story is new. 24 deposits report lithium resources; Bonnie Claire alone reports 5,370,000 t Li (Inferred) — 42% of the headline total.