The face of bauxite mining – the source of our aluminum

Aerial photography – all photos were taken from a helicopter using medium format cameras. Bauxite ore is the world’s primary source of aluminum. It has a characteristic reddish tint because of its high aluminum oxide and hydroxide content. For this reason, bauxite is particularly suitable for aluminum production – also against the background of the increasing demand for aluminum worldwide, because bauxite is an efficient method of manufacturing the metal. Nonetheless, the processing of bauxite involves high energy consumption, and the escape of a lot of heat. It also requires the use of large areas of the land which will need to be rehabilitated in the future. The mining areas, which are usually several hectares in size, are controversial, but if you look at them from an aerial perspective, especially the tailing ponds, they look like huge abstract oil paintings.