Ore be processed and what ore is of too low a grade to be worth mining. Metal ores are generally oxides, sulfides, silicates, or native metals (such as native copper) that are not commonly concentrated in the Earth's crust, or noble metals (not usually forming compounds) such as gold. The ores must be processed to extract the elements of interest from the waste rock and from the ore minerals. Ore bodies are formed by a variety of geological processes. The process of ore formation is called ore genesis. An ore deposit is an accumulation of ore. This is distinct from a
Ore dock ore, in raw or taconite form. Ore docks are typically long, high structures, with a railway track or tracks along the top and a number of "pockets" into which ore is unloaded from railcars, typically by gravity. Each pocket has a chute that can be lowered to discharge the ore into the hold of a ship berthed alongside. The use of pockets and chutes allows the dock itself to be loaded with ore before it is transferred into the freighter. The docks' storage bins or pockets typically are wider at the top than the bottom, and they lead to movable