How Oregon landed a lithium bounty

Sammy Castonguay broke a chunk of rock off a small outcropping on the northeast rim of the McDermitt Caldera on the Oregon-Nevada border and pinned it to the ground with his boot. He raised his hammer and, with a gentle swing, smashed the rock into smaller pieces.

Castonguay was collecting samples for his geology students at Treasure Valley Community College in Ontario, Oregon, on a sunny Friday in January. He said teaching about this ancient supervolcano is a lot easier when he can hand a piece of the soft, white rock to his pupils.

“Last time I was out here, I think I only gathered like five samples,” Castonguay said, admiring a specimen striped with burnt orange. “And those walked away really quickly.”