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ore metal-bearing mineral mass that can be profitably mined. Nearly all rock deposits contain some metallic minerals, but in many cases the concentration of metal is too low to justify mining the ore. Ores are usually found concentrated in deposits with a definite gradation of metal concentration from the ore to the surrounding rock. The ore often occurs in veins, which are ore-filled fissures in the rock. The veins vary in thickness from only fractions of an inch to several hundred feet. Minerals with no commercial value, called gangue minerals, are usually found mixed with the ore in the vein. Some veins are buried deep within the ground, but others lie close to the surface. Veins of ore exposed to weathering are often eroded and redeposited in placers and alluvial deposits, e.g., ore-bearing stream and lake gravels or beach sands. Some ores are simple chemical compounds, while others are chemically complex minerals . Important ores of aluminum , iron , manganese , and tin are oxides; important ores of antimony , copper , lead , mercury , nickel , silver , and zinc are sulfides. Some metals, called native metals, occur uncombined in nature, e.g., copper, gold , platinum , and silver. The recovery of metals from their ores is one area of the field of metallurgy .

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ore

A Dictionary of Earth Sciences | 1999 | | Â© A Dictionary of Earth Sciences 1999, originally published by Oxford University Press 1999. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

ore A mineral or rock that can be worked economically.

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AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "ore." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 5 Jul. 2009 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "ore." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (July 5, 2009). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O13-ore.html

AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "ore." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Retrieved July 05, 2009 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O13-ore.html

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ore

A Dictionary of Ecology | 2004 | | Â© A Dictionary of Ecology 2004, originally published by Oxford University Press 2004. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

ore A mineral or rock that can be worked economically.

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MICHAEL ALLABY. "ore." A Dictionary of Ecology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 5 Jul. 2009 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

MICHAEL ALLABY. "ore." A Dictionary of Ecology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (July 5, 2009). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O14-ore.html

MICHAEL ALLABY. "ore." A Dictionary of Ecology. 2004. Retrieved July 05, 2009 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O14-ore.html

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Free newspaper and magazine articles

	Iron ore consolidation produces an iron grip. Newspaper article from: Manufacturing & Technology News; 7/15/2008
	Gangue.(minerals in an ore deposit) Magazine article from: Rocks & Minerals; 9/1/2005
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	Skagway ore terminal. (Curragh Resources Inc.'s storage and transshipment center)(Marine Facilities) Magazine article from: Alaska Business Monthly; 8/1/1991; 267 words ; Skagway Ore Terminal. The newly renovated ore terminal at Skagway is hosting increased amounts of ore, thanks to the opening of a new mine by Curragh Resources Inc. of Toronto. The terminal's renovations plus a long-term priority-use lease with the... Read more