Article
Article
Ore and mineral deposit
Article By:
Barton, Paul B., Jr. U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior, Reston, Virginia.
Roedder, Edwin U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior, Reston, Virginia.
Last reviewed:March 2022
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.474800
Show previous versions
- Ore and mineral deposits, published December 2019:Download PDF
Get Adobe Acrobat Reader
A naturally occurring geologic body that may contain one or more metals. The metals may be present as native elements, or, more commonly, as oxides, sulfides, sulfates, silicates, or other compounds. The term ore is often used loosely to include such nonmetallic minerals as fluorite and gypsum. The broader term, mineral deposits, includes, in addition to metalliferous minerals, any other useful minerals or rocks (Fig. 1). Minerals of little or no value which occur with ore minerals are called gangue. Some gangue minerals may not be worthless in that they are used as by-products; for instance, limestone for fertilizer or flux, pyrite for making sulfuric acid and rock for road material.
The content above is only an excerpt.
About AccessScience
AccessScience provides the most accurate and trustworthy scientific information available.
Recognized as an award-winning gateway to scientific knowledge, AccessScience is an amazing online resource that contains high-quality reference material written specifically for students. Contributors include more than 10,000 highly qualified scientists and 46 Nobel Prize winners.
MORE THAN 8700 articles covering all major scientific disciplines and encompassing the McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science & Technology and McGraw-Hill Yearbook of Science & Technology
115,000-PLUS definitions from the McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms
3000 biographies of notable scientific figures
MORE THAN 19,000 downloadable images and animations illustrating key topics
ENGAGING VIDEOS highlighting the life and work of award-winning scientists
SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER STUDY and additional readings to guide students to deeper understanding and research
LINKS TO CITABLE LITERATURE help students expand their knowledge using primary sources of information
