Media Center (Blog)

The United States imports 25% of its lithium, which is listed as critical mineral by both the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Geological Survey. Meanwhile, brines in the Smackover Formation, which stretches from Texas to Florida through Louisiana, could help meet domestic and global needs. Pinpointing the richest brines requires extensive and time-consuming sampling and analysis. LSU researchers hope to make the search for lithium-rich brines faster by characterizing the formation waters, defining what's in them and how it came to be there.

With support from the Lagniappe Internship Fund, Diaz spent the summer in Aspen, Colorado participating in the Orchestral Program at the Aspen Music Festival and School, where he performed alongside talented young musicians and professional faculty from leading orchestras across the country.