Well I am curious - so I took a look at the distribution of natural Titanium in the Arctic circle area, and came up with a few references.. (Thread title got me curious: "Re: Pure Titanium found in the arctic snow after UFO sighting 1934" ). So I went researching to find what potential for titanium exists in the Arctic.. (following the thread title lead)..
One in particular, a book written about the Russian's exploration of the Arctic region for Energy exploitation. (there are many resources about the mineralogy of the region..)
In a chapter looking at the Franz Josef Archipelago (see location in image below), very pure crystals of titanium and magnetite (titanium and magnetized iron oxide) have appeared "naturally" having formed many millions of years ago.. Outcrops (concentrations on the surface), have turned up. (https://books.google.com/books?isbn=0444537848)
Also, platinum group metals and gold, copper, tin and so forth have been found there as well:
Lavas in Alexandra Land Island of the Franz Josef Land Archipelago bear Au-, Cu-, and Pd-type mineralization. The found mineral speciesbelong to the Cu–Au–Pd and Pd–Cu–(Te + Sb + S + As) systems being, respectively, (i) cuproauride (Au(Cu, Pd)) and auricupride (Au(Cu,Pd)3)and (ii) phases similar to skaergaardite (PdCu), nielsenite (PdCu3), and numerous S–Te–Sb–Pd–Cu phases of various compositions.
Platinum-group minerals in dolerites from Alexandra Land Island (Franz Josef Land Archipelago) (PDF Download Available). Available from:
https://www.researchgate.net/publica...nd_Archipelago [accessed Sep 13, 2017].
I would venture to guess, what happened with the explorer, having observed a sky-fall and ground impact (and subsequent melting of any surface ice), accidentally/coincidentally stumbled across an outcrop, and picked up one of the numerous crystalline deposits.. Ultima Thule (forum Member): has written about Franz Joseph Land..
(image from that page ultima0thule.blogspot above of one of the islands unique features..)