OCCURRENCE OF ALUMINOUS LATERITIC SOILS (BAUXITES) IN BAHAMAS AND CAYMAN ISLANDS

Aluminous lateritic soil similar in appearance and physical properties to Jamaican bauxite occurs in the Bahamas and Cayman Islands over pure limestone. Compared to the Jamaican ore, these materials have comparable cation exchange capcities, less gibbsitc, boehmite, and kaolinitc but more chlorite and free silica; in contrast, boehmite is generally higher than gibbsite in these materials. Total silica and potassium are higher but alumina and iron are lower and a smaller percentage of the iron occurs as free oxide. Phosphorus content is much lower in the Cayman Islands soils but the Cayman Islands material has as much as the Jamaican red bauxite. The materials are not comparable with the Jamaican ore in quality and are present as thin deposits of small aerial extent, consequently, they are of doubtful commercial value. Nevertheless, these new occurrences extend the known distribution of aluminous weathering products overlying limestone in the western Caribbean, and the association of aluminous soils with pure limestones is further evidence for derivation of Jamaican-type bauxites from limestone residues. © 1969 Society of Economic Geologists, Inc.