Platinum-Group Minerals from a Placer Deposit in Burwash Creek, Kluane Area, Yukon Territory, Canada

Researchers discovered five unique platinum-group mineral (PGM) grains, including previously unconfirmed Pt–Fe alloys and rare sulfides, in a placer deposit at Burwash Creek, Kluane area, Yukon. These minerals exhibit elevated levels of Pd, Rh, Ir, and Fe, along with notable silicate melt inclusions enriched in large-ion lithophile elements. The findings suggest an association with Alaskan–Uralian-type mineralization rather than the local Triassic ultramafic–mafic complex. The study employed electron-microprobe analysis (EMP) and laser-ablation ICP–MS to characterize the PGMs and their geochemical context, providing insights into the geological processes underlying this remote placer deposit.

Fedortchouk, Y., LeBarge, W., Barkov, A. Y., Fedele, L., Bodnar, R. J., & Martin, R. F. (2010). PLATINUM-GROUP MINERALS FROM A PLACER DEPOSIT IN BURWASH CREEK, KLUANE AREA, YUKON TERRITORY, CANADA. The Canadian Mineralogist, 48(3), 583–596. https://doi.org/10.3749/canmin.48.3.583