Critical Minerals Factbook
Deposit

Karshner Creek

Karshner Creek is a rare earth occurrence in Alaska, recorded in the USGS USMIN rare earth element occurrence database (ver. 4.0, June 2019).

Facts on this page last re-verified Aug 12, 2026 — the oldest verification date among its current claims. How we verify.

Location: Alaska, United States (65.003, -150.631 approx.)

Commodities: rare earth elements; titanium; zirconium

Deposit model: monazite-bearing stream placers · unclassified

Geology

The sand is composed dominantly of minerals derived from the disintegration of the granite, but the presence of andalusite and well-rounded crystals of pink zircon suggests that patches, at least, of the intruded Cretaceous sediments are included in the drainage basin of this stream. Although tourmaline was second in abundance among the heavy" minerals, no cassiterite was found. The presence of brookite and monazite is of interest, as this is the only place in this region, outside of the vicinity of the tin placers, where these two minerals were found." (Waters (1934))

Record imported from USGS USMIN ver. 4.0 (June 2019). Developments after that date appear on facility records, not here; see the methodology.

Sources