The Department of Geology conducted a field trip with 17 undergraduate students to the Salem-Yercaud Bauxite area. We visited an open-cast bauxite mine at the top of the hill and discussed the formation of bauxite, which originates in wet tropical or subtropical climates like Salem. The area is composed of younger rock layers overlying a host rock of Charnockite, a metamorphic rock. Bauxite is primarily associated with laterite deposits, which are characterized by the leaching of silica and other soluble materials. Bauxite is mainly used in refractory, chemical, cement, and paint industries.