Weathering Crusts in the Glukharinyi Ore-Placer Cluster (Kolyma Terrane, Northeastern Russia) and Their Gold Potential

The Kolyma Terrane is one of the long-developed regional structures in Northeast Asia. Specifics of its neotectonic evolution promoted the wide distribution of Cenozoic overburden rocks, weathering crusts included. We studied the spatial distribution, mineralogy, chemistry, grain size composition, and morphology of native gold in this region. Only relicts of lower horizons of the weathering crust are preserved at present. Lithology of bedrocks was unfavorable for the formation of the well-developed weathering crust and its enrichment with Au. Very weak supergene alteration of native gold in placer specimens indicates their direct delivery from the bedrock source. The studied weathering crusts in this region lack economic significance for gold exploration.