USGS researchers combined water testing methods with advanced machine learning algorithms to predict the presence and concentration of lithium in the region.
The lithium deposits are particularly concentrated in brines within a geological formation named Smackover Formation.
This ancient formation is a remnant of a Jurassic-era sea that left behind a porous and permeable limestone deposit. It stretches across multiple Southern states, mainly Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas, Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida.