Scientists found a massive lithium deposit inside an ancient US volcano that could be a game-changer for American clean energy but spell disaster for Native Americans

• Scientists measured significant levels of lithium trapped in clay deposits in an extinct US volcano.
• The US mostly relies on lithium imports, which it uses for rechargeable batteries in electric cars. 
• Lithium independence would be a game-changer for clean energy but Native Americans are already suffering for it.

The name McDermitt Caldera is probably unfamiliar. It belongs to an extinct volcano that last erupted approximately 16 million years ago. But for lithium hunters, it's the biggest gold mine find of the century.