INDY100 - A 'white gold' mine containing $540 billion in treasures has been discovered at the bottom of a giant lake in Southern California.
The Salton Sea, which is the largest lake in the US state was being studied by scientists as part of research funded by the Department of Energy.
The study aimed to find how much lithium, also known as 'white gold due to its white sand-like appearance, was at the bottom of the huge body of water.
Michael McKibben, a geochemistry professor at the University of California, Riverside, who was one of the 22 authors on the study said: "This is one of the largest lithium brine deposits in the world. This could make the United States completely self-sufficient in lithium and stop importing it through China."