Landscapes and regolith of Weipa, northern Australia

Abstract

Since its discovery during the 1950s the Weipa bauxite has been considered to be the product of in situ weathering of the rocks or sediments below the deposit. It is the world's largest proven bauxite resource covering some 11 000 km2 with an average thickness of about 2.5 m. It consists of a pisolithic bauxite sitting atop a typical lateritic profile about 10-15 m thick. Few, if any researchers have considered genetic scenarios other than the in situ evolution of the deposit. This paper summarises the history of research and outlines the geological setting of the Weipa Bauxite, and provides some evidence for alternative genetic scenarios.