Buffalo Pitts Peridotite: Geological Mapping Report for Yukon-Tanana Terrane

A 580-meter by 100-meter lens of fresh spinel peridotite, known as the Buffalo Pitts Peridotite, is described in this report from the Government of Yukon. The report summarizes geological mapping and preliminary petrological studies of ultramafic rocks in the Dawson Range, central Yukon. It interprets the rock's exhumation history and its relationship to surrounding metamorphic suites like the Wolverine Creek suite and the Selwyn Gneiss.

Use Cases

• Study decompressive metamorphism based on the described plagioclase mantles on spinel grains
• Analyze the structural relationships between peridotite bodies and enclosing orthogneiss based on the described foliaform lens
• Model exhumation timing based on the interpretation of intrusion by dykes derived from the Selwyn Gneiss
• Investigate the composition of pericratonic metamorphic suites based on the description of the Wolverine Creek suite

Strengths

• Report provides a specific dimension for the peridotite body: 580 m by 100 m
• Includes detailed geological interpretations linking the body to named metamorphic suites (Wolverine Creek, Selwyn Gneiss)
• Identifies specific rock types and minerals (spinel peridotite, leucocratic tonalite gneiss, garnet-corundum blue orthogneiss)

Limitations

• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download
• Data may reflect geographic bias inherent to open_canada, focusing on a single location in Yukon

Provenance

Source

Government of Yukon | Gouvernement du Yukon

Collection Method

Geological mapping and preliminary petrological studies

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-17 15:43:42.211401; freshness should be verified

Geography

Eastern Dawson Range, central Yukon, Yukon-Tanana Terrane