An estimate on red mud waste management to diversify the Jamaican economy

Abstract Red mud waste is a residual product from the processing of bauxite to extract aluminum. This waste product is an iron rich clay that is also laden with rare earth element (REE) materials. The use of red mud clay is not limited to rare earths but has also been proposed for building material such as bricks and cement mix. Industrial materials undergo a series of stress and strain testing and standard proctor tests to determine the integrity of the building material mix. However, estimating the available volume of material for procurement is necessary for economic pursuits. As the bauxite mining industry in Jamaica produces more red mud waste, the available building material increases. Therefore, it is useful to estimate the total volume of red mud clay for industrial development. In this study, we use remote sensing techniques to quantify the volume of material in the Windalco residual lake in Manchester, Jamaica. We observe the residual pit using advanced measurements from satellite instruments to improve land surveying and investment protection.