Context: Study conducted by researchers at the University of Chile, the study analyzed satellite data from 2020 to 2023 to track deformations in the Earth’s crust.
What are its findings
- Study Findings: A new study published in IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing reveals that Chile’s Atacama salt flat is sinking at a rate of 1 to 2 centimeters per year due to lithium brine extraction.
- Affected Area: The most severe subsidence is occurring in the southwest part of the salt flat, where lithium mining operations are concentrated. The impacted area is approximately 8 km north to south and 5 km east to west.
- Cause of Subsidence: The subsidence is attributed to the faster rate of brine pumping compared to the recharge rate of the aquifers, leading to downward movement of the Earth's surface.
Key Facts related to Lithium
- Lithium, known as “white gold,” is highly sought after for use in rechargeable batteries, including those in laptops, mobile phones, and electric vehicles, which are essential for climate change mitigation.
- Environmental Impact of Lithium Mining:
- Water Usage: Producing lithium through brine evaporation requires large quantities of fresh water. In the Atacama Desert, it takes 2,000 tons of water to produce one ton of lithium, causing water scarcity issues for indigenous communities and wildlife.
- Chemical Pollution: Chemicals used in lithium extraction, such as sulfuric acid and sodium hydroxide, contaminate soil and water, harming ecosystems and endangering species.
- Physical and Chemical properties of Lithium (atomic number 3)
- It belongs to an alkali metal group, lightest of the solid elements (can float on water). It is soft, white and lustrous.
- It has the lowest density of any metal.
- It has high specific heat which is the calorific capacity. Other properties are its enormous temperature interval in the liquid state, high thermal conductivity.
- It is also found in brine deposits and as salts in mineral springs.
- It constitutes about 0.002 percent of Earth’s crust.
- It is produced by electrolysis of a fused mixture of lithium and potassium chlorides.
Lithium Distribution:
- Although lithium is widely distributed on Earth, it does not naturally occur in elemental form due to its high reactivity.
- According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), there are around 80 million tonnes of identified reserves globally as of 2019.
- Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile make up the “lithium triangle.” The three countries, along with Peru, contain about 67% of proven lithium reserves and produce about half of the global supply, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
- The Salar de Uyuni salt flat in Bolivia is the world's single-largest lithium resource, and is visible from space
Lithium reserves in India
- The ancient igneous rock deposits in the Karnataka’s Mandya district holds the first traces of Lithium ever to be discovered in India. But it is merely 1,600 tonnes.
- But in a big development, recently 5.9 million tonnes of lithium reserves found for the 1st time in Jammu and Kashmir.
- India currently imports all of its lithium batteries.