Where is lithium mined?

Lithium mining machine moves a salt by-product at the mine in the Atacama Desert in Salar de Atacama, Chili on October 25, 2022. The Chemical and... Lithium Production in the Northern salt flat of Jujuy province, Argentina. Silver Peak Lithium mine in Clatton Valley, Nevada.

Should lithium be mined?

As it stands, demand for lithium is unprecedented and many say it is crucial in order to transition to renewables. However, this doesn't come without a cost - mining the chemical element can be harmful to the environment. German aerial photographer Tom Hegen specialises in documenting the traces we leave on the earth's surface.

How does lithium mining affect the environment?

According to a report by Friends of the Earth (FoE), lithium extraction inevitably harms the soil and causes air contamination. As demand rises, the mining impacts are “increasingly affecting communities where this harmful extraction takes place, jeopardising their access to water,” says the report.

Where is the Soquimich lithium mine?

Taken by photographer Tom Hegen, this image of the Soquimich lithium mine in the Atacama desert, run by major mining operator SQM, is part of his new project, The Lithium Series I, which documents lithium extraction in Chile.

Does Australia mine lithium containing ore?

The mining of lithium-containing ore, which is especially common in Australia, accounts for the rest. NASA Earth Observatory image by Lauren Dauphin, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey. Story by Adam Voiland.

How do miners extract lithium?

Though it’s rich in lithium, it is one of the driest places on Earth, and to extract lithium, miners need a lot of water, reported Wired in 2018. “To extract lithium, miners start by drilling a hole in the salt flats and pumping salty, mineral-rich brine to the surface,” wrote the publication.