Bauxite ore is formed from the intense lateritic weathering of residual clays, which accumulate in topographic lows on continental surfaces (Deady et al., 2014). Bauxite deposits can be classified according their geological formation into lateritic, karst and Tikhvin-type (Bárdossy, 1982). Approximately 89% of the world’s bauxite resource belong to the lateritic type, 10% to the karst type and less than 1% to the Tikhvin-type (Bárdossy, 1982).
Attached pdf map shows the distribution of the predominant bauxite types – lateritic or karst- worldwide at–province, subprovince and district level.
Deady, É., Mouchos, E., Goodenough, K., Williamson, B., Wall, F., 2014. Rare earth elements in karst-bauxites: a novel untapped European resource. In Proceedings of the ERES2014: 1st European Rare Earth Resources Conference. 4–7, September 2014, Milos, Greece. Available at: http://www.eurare.eu/docs/eres2014/sixthSession/EimearDeady.pdf. Accessed 3rd February 2016.
Bárdossy, G., 1982. Karst bauxites, bauxite deposits on carbonate rocks. In: Developments in Economic Geology (Ed.: Laznicka, P.). Elsevier, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
European Commission – Growth, 2014. Bauxite – Alumina – Aluminium (Vassiliadou, V., Aluminium S.A.), 2014. Presentation at Raw Materials University Day, June 19, 2014, Athens, Greece. Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/eip-raw-materials/en/content/raw-materials-university-day-athens-greece. Accessed 11th February 2016.
Kogel, J.E., 2006. Industrial Minerals & Rocks: Commodities, Markets, and Uses. ISBN 0873352335, 9780873352338. SME, Dearborn, USA.