Bauxite mining
Bauxite mining extracts bauxite, the principal ore of aluminium, from the Earth. It commonly uses surface methods where deposits lie near the ground.
Strip mining: A surface-mining method that removes overlying material in long strips to expose a mineral deposit. Bauxite deposits near the surface are commonly excavated by removing vegetation and overburden.
Aluminium: A lightweight, corrosion-resistant chemical element widely used in transport, construction, packaging, and electrical systems. Bauxite mining supplies the principal ore used to make this metal.
Deforestation: The conversion or long-term loss of forest cover through clearing and other land-use changes. Clearing forest for mines and access routes can fragment tropical landscapes.
Underground mining: The extraction of minerals through shafts, tunnels, and underground workings. It contrasts with the surface methods commonly used for near-surface bauxite deposits.
Bauxite: A mixture of aluminium-bearing minerals, chiefly gibbsite, boehmite, and diaspore, that serves as aluminium ore. Its mineral composition determines which deposits can be mined and processed economically.
Aluminium production: The industrial chain that converts bauxite into alumina and then aluminium metal. Mining is the first extraction stage in this larger production system.
Mining and Indigenous peoples: The interactions between mineral extraction projects and Indigenous peoples' lands, rights, livelihoods, and governance. Some bauxite deposits overlap customary lands and areas of cultural significance.
Laterite nickel mining: The extraction of nickel from weathered laterite deposits, often using open-pit methods in tropical regions. It shares tropical landscapes with bauxite mining but targets different metals and processing routes.
Bayer process: An industrial process that uses hot sodium hydroxide to extract alumina from bauxite. Most mined bauxite is refined by this process before aluminium is produced.
Aluminium recycling: The recovery and remelting of aluminium scrap to produce reusable metal. Recycled aluminium can meet demand without extracting new bauxite.