STRUCTURAL, STRATIGRAPHIC, AND MAGMATIC CONTROLS ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF LITHIUM-RICH BASINS AT RHYOLITE RIDGE, SILVER PEAK RANGE, NEVADA

Society’s recent focus on renewable energy sources has driven increased demand for lithium (Li) to support a transitioning transportation economy and mitigate climate change impacts. The Rhyolite Ridge study area, located in the northern Silver Peak Range and adjacent to Clayton Valley in western Nevada, is one of the richest lithium districts in the United States. There is active production and exploration for Li in brines and claystones in Clayton Valley and at Rhyolite Ridge. Yet, little is known about the relative influences of structural, stratigraphic, and magmatic controls on the development of Li-rich basins, thus limiting the identification of potentially mineralized areas. Determining the critical controls on the development of Li-rich basins will aid in the identification and exploration of other Li-clay deposits in the United States. Initial mapping work conducted in the Rhyolite Ridge study area provides understanding of interactions between extensional tectonics, basin subsidence, and hydrothermal activity that led to the development of the basin-hosted Li-enriched stratiform deposit. The Li-bearing Cave Spring Formation is mostly contained within a single basin in the study area and was deposited in a lacustrine environment surrounded by rhyolitic volcanic deposits. Inputs of Li to the system are still undetermined and must be further studied to understand if they are hydrothermal and/or meteoric in nature. New 1:24,000 scale mapping and fault kinematic data has revealed previously unmapped north-south-striking, basin-bounding normal faults that allow us to better understand the formation of the basin. Preliminary geochemical data from volcanic rocks of the Rhyolite Ridge and Argentite Canyon Formations, which directly underlie the mineralized lakebeds, will provide insight into their potential roles as source rocks for Li in the area. Continued mapping will examine the faulting history and magmatic evolution at Rhyolite Ridge and provide a structural framework to evaluate the linkages between volcanism, faulting, basin formation, and Li mineralization.