Unit 14 GEOS

What is lithium and why is it important?

Lithium creates the best batteries to store energy from wind and solar.

What kind of element is lithium?

Alkaline metal.

How can lithium help the transition to renewable energy, especially wind and solar?

Lithium powers rechargeable batteries that store energy from solar and wind, which are intermittent.

How can lithium help the transition to electric cars?

Lithium-ion batteries are the core power source for EVs.

What is a battery? What are the two main kinds of batteries in terms of whether they can be recharged?

Battery stores electrical energy. Primary battery: single discharge cycle; Secondary battery: rechargeable.

Why are lithium-ion batteries better than Lead-acid batteries?

Lithium batteries can store the most energy of all existing battery types.

Which countries have most of the lithium deposits in Latin America?

Argentina.

What is the region containing most Latin American Lithium deposits called? Why?

Region: North Chile, Northwest Argentina, Southwest Bolivia; Contains vast salt flats (salars) with lithium-rich brines due to unique geology and climate.

What is a salar and how are these related to Lithium deposits?

Salar is a salt encrusted depression formed on the site of an evaporated lake; The dry hot condition of the salt flat, along with poor drainage result in the concentration of incoming lithium into an exploitable brine.

How do Latin America lithium deposits form?

Lithium comes from volcanic ash, magmatic fluids, and weathered rocks; Concentrated by evaporation in closed basins; Stored in brine pools beneath salt flats.

What is a brine?

A highly salty water solution, often saltier than seawater; In lithium mining, brine contains dissolved lithium salts extracted from underground aquifers.

How are Latin American lithium deposits mined?

Brine is pumped to surface, sent through evaporation ponds, sun evaporates water, leaving lithium salts, processed into lithium carbonate for batteries.

Which Latin American country has a lot of lithium but is not yet mining it?

Bolivia has the largest lithium resources (Salar de Uyuni) but no commercial production yet due to technical and political challenges.

Which Latin American president was hurt by his people’s concerns about lithium mining?

Evo Morales (Bolivia, 2006–2019); Faced backlash over a lithium deal with a German company; protests contributed to his resignation.

What are the main environmental concerns about lithium mining in Latin America?

Water depletion in arid regions; Contamination risks from brine processing; Impact on indigenous communities and local ecosystems (e.g., flamingo habitats in Chile).