Unearthing the Past: Geologic Foundations and the Quest for Lithium in the Carolinas

The geologic history of the Carolinas spans over one billion years. The forces that built the foundation of the Carolinas have shuffled us between super continents and provided us a wealth of mineral resources. Human history is a tiny fraction of geologic history; however, we have learned to exploit geology beginning with favored rocks for stone tools through lithium resources for batteries. Research into lithium in the Carolinas is significantly impacted by local, State, and national politics, as well as the global market. Even over the past few years, there have been significant swings in the enthusiasm surrounding exploration for, and extraction of, lithium in the Carolinas. Presently, the US Geological Survey is taking new stock of historically mined products across the USA searching for resources once cast aside as waste but now valuable. The talk will summarize the geologic history of the Carolinas and link the formation of economic…