Bauxite, the principal ore of aluminum, forms through intense chemical weathering (laterization) of aluminosilicate source rocks in tropical/subtropical climates, whereby prolonged and extreme chemical leaching removes the more soluble elements (silica, alkalis, alkaline earths) while insoluble aluminum and iron hydroxides/oxides remain behind and become residually concentrated, illustrating metal enrichment through extreme chemical (rather than physical or mechanical) processes.
Bauxite forms as a residual deposit through the intense chemical weathering process of laterization, most pronounced in humid tropical climates with high rainfall and temperature....
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