Plavins Pit
10 kilometres east of Dwellingup is the site of the 1957 exploration pit which verified the extensive and economic bauxite deposits across the Darling Range. Most bauxites in Australia are lateritic, formed by intense weathering of various rock formations. The alumina in lateritic bauxite is mainly in the form of gibbsite, an aluminium oxide trihydrate.
Bauxite is a rock composed mainly of aluminum-bearing minerals. It forms when laterite soils are severely leached of silica and other soluble materials in a wet tropical or subtropical climate. Bauxite is the primary ore of aluminum. Almost all of the aluminum that has ever been produced has been extracted from bauxite.
Aluminium production starts with the raw material bauxite. Bauxite is a mineral found mostly in a belt around the equator. Bauxite, containing 15-25 percent aluminium, is the only ore that is used for commercial extraction of aluminium today.
The Darling Range region produces 16% of the world's alumina.
Plavins Pit is signposted from the Dwellingup to Boddington Road, with information boards explaining the discovery of the ore at the site.
Now for a few questions.
You will find the answers by observing the area and maybe doing a bit of research,
At the listed co-ordinates look around the pit area.
Q 1. What is the shape of the bauxite ore mined here and how does it differ to the rocks in the caprock?
Q 2. Is the caprock, which can be seen at the top of the pit walls, harder or softer that the bauxite?
Go to WP 2.
You are now in the pit.
Q 3.How is bauxite formed?
Q 4. What do you think the "grizzler" was used for in the mining process?
If you wish, a photo of the area added to your log would be good.