Ore Deposits
Finding ore can be quite challenging. A picture of a typical ore distribution is shown (right). The main point to notice is that the ores are distributed at random heights in disks at various angles. Some ores have wider disks than others. Quartz has the widest disk by far, but most disks average 5.5 blocks wide. The overall shape of the ore disk will typically be shaped to reflect the surface above and will always cover the same horizontal area. This means that regions with flat ground will also have flat ore disks, and where the surface is jagged, the disks will be tilted and distorted. Thus, in flat areas mining horizontally reduces the chances of finding an ore disk. This continues to be true until the surface is jagged enough that its slope is greater than the width of the ore disk.
For more information on the prospecting pick and how to prospect to detect ores, see the mining page.
Ore generation
As of version 1.9, ores only appear in certain rock types. Many ores are only found in some host rocks, and different rocks can have different ore qualities. Ores are distributed evenly throughout their range given by Y min and Y max, it is important to note that these values are given as portions of the total world height, i.e. .5 is half the world's height. They also have an average radius which is the average width, a generator that specifies the way the deposit is formed, average thickness, and tries per chunk which is is how many times the game tries to generate a deposit in each chunk.
Shallow ores
Some ores are found in shallow deposits and deep deposits. Shallow deposits are often indicated by the presence of loose stones containing ore on the surface of the world, and are a good source of metals in early game stages.
| Ore | Y min | Y max | Average radius | Thickness | Generator | Tries per chunk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lignite | 0.48 | 0.92 | 10 | 2 | disc follow surface | 8 |
| Bituminous coal | 0.1 | 0.9 | 10 | 2 | disc follow sea level | 7 |
| Anthracite | 0.0 | 0.8 | 8 | 1.5 | disc follow sea level | 6 |
| Copper | 0.962 | 0.968 | 4.25 | 1 | disc follow surface | 0.2 |
| Cassiterite | 0.92 | 0.98 | 3 | 1 | disc follow surface | 0.007 |
| Galena | 0.0 | 1.0 | 4 | 1 | disc follow surface | 40 |
Deep ores
Deep ores exist from the mantle to a Y max.
| Ore | Y max | Avg radius | Follows | Rarity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bituminous Coal | 8 | sea level | 20 | |
| Saltpeter | 10 | sea level | 299 | |
| Gold | 2 | straight | 6 | |
| Silver | 2 | straight | 20 | |
| Deep Copper | 6 | surface | 54 | |
| Sphalerite (Zinc) | 4 | surface | 53 | |
| Cassiterite (Tin) | 4 | surface | 24 | |
| Bismuthinite | 4 | surface | 27 | |
| Limonite (Iron) | 3 | sea level | 14 | |
| Lapis | 2 | surface | 2 | |
| Diamond | 2 | sea level | 24 | |
| Emerald | 1 | sea level | 42 | |
| Galena (Lead) | 4 | surface | 39 | |
| Sulfur | 8 | sea level | 54 |
Ore Specifics
Gold and Silver
Gold and silver only spawn in layers of quartz. Following a quartz layer is a good way to find them. Ore blasting bombs can be utilized to great effect to clear out quartz.
Cassiterite
There's a 0.003% chance to come across a massive cassiterite deposit in a chunk. Players who find locate these are extremely lucky, since the smallest of these deposits are larger than the largest of the normal sized deposits.
Lapis
Lapis only spawns in claystone.
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