This trip will look at the continental rift and evaporite lake processes that resulted in the formation of one of the world’s largest byproduct lithium resource at the Salton Sea Geothermal Field (SSGF). We will tour one of the geothermal power plants currently producing and processing the lithium-rich hypersaline brine, discuss the proven and possible lithium reserves available, and look at current efforts to develop direct lithium extraction (DLE) techniques to commercialize this valuable resource.