Lithologic log, lithium content, and mineralogy of sediments penetrated in test boring drilled in Eureka Valley, Inyo County, California

Open-File Report 79-1089
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Abstract

A test boring was drilled in a playa in Eureka Valley, Calif., by the U.S. Geological Survey in the spring of 1978. Work was done under the terms of a cooperative agreement between the U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to evaluate the leasable mineral potential of various playas in the California Desert Planning area, as described in the environmental analysis (prepared by the U.S. Geological Survey, 1978). The purpose of this report is to describe the occurrence and distribution of lithium in the basin sediments as part of a program to identify additional domestic resources of nonpegmatite lithium (Vine, 1978). Interest in this playa stems from the fact that Eureka Valley is located in a region where other lithium resources have been identified. Lithium is recovered from subsurface brines at Clayton Valley, Nev., to the north and at Searles Lake, Calif., to the south. Eureka Valley is a closed topographic basin that has an arid climate, it thus provides suitable conditions for the entrapment of a brine and subsequent concentration of lithium by evaporation.

Development of new energy related uses for lithium in batteries for electric vehicle propulsion and for off-peak power storage by the utility industry (Chilenskas and others, 1977) may he aided by identification of a large domestic resource of lithium.

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Publication type Report
Publication Subtype USGS Numbered Series
Title Lithologic log, lithium content, and mineralogy of sediments penetrated in test boring drilled in Eureka Valley, Inyo County, California
Series title Open-File Report
Series number 79-1089
DOI 10.3133/ofr791089
Year Published 1979
Language English
Publisher U.S. Geological Survey
Description 13 p.
Country United States
State California
County Inyo County
Other Geospatial Eureka Valley
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