BETA
Chapter 1
An accidental birth in the desert
Chapter 2
The glamorous desert playground
Chapter 3
The unfolding ecological crisis
Chapter 4
The toxic dust and public health
Chapter 5
The rise of Lithium Valley and clean energy
YOUR GOAL
Master of The Salton Sea
Ch 5 · The rise of Lithium Valley and clean energy
marcus Lithium Valley Salton Sea
Beneath the Salton Sea, deep geothermal flow, Lithium for our clean power, makes electric futures glow.
marcus Taxes and revenues from lithium extraction could finally fund the multibillion-dollar cleanup of the sea.
marcus The geothermal brine contains one of the world's largest deposits of lithium, vital for electric vehicle batteries.
Fun Fact
Lithium jackpot: The Salton Sea geothermal area is estimated to contain up to 15 million metric tons of lithium, enough to power 375 million electric vehicles.
Glossary
lithium (noun)
A soft, silvery-white alkali metal that is the lightest of all solid elements. Beneath the shrinking Southern California lakebed lies an estimated eighteen million metric tons of this battery metal.
A soft, silvery-white alkali metal that is the lightest of all solid elements. Beneath the shrinking Southern California lakebed lies an estimated eighteen million metric tons of this battery metal.
Quiz
What highly valuable element, crucial for electric vehicle batteries, is found in the Salton Sea's geothermal brine?
Quiz
Why is extracting lithium from geothermal brine considered environmentally friendlier than traditional mining?
Quiz
What geological feature makes the Salton Sea area highly active for geothermal energy?
Quiz
Approximately how many electric vehicle batteries could be powered by the estimated lithium reserves at the Salton Sea?
Quiz
What type of renewable energy is currently produced by tapping into the superheated underground water near the Salton Sea?
Quiz
What do engineers mix with salty sea water to control salinity in the new Species Conservation Habitat ponds?
Quiz
What is the name of the state-led project building managed ponds to provide safe havens for birds?