Advances in exploration prediction using alteration minerals in the coastal volcanic belt of Southeast China

The coastal volcanic rock belt of Southeast China is a significant part of the Circum-Pacific volcanic zone, characterized by porphyry-epithermal Cu-Au mineralization and extensive medium to low-temperature hydrothermal alterations. In recent years, regional prospecting has increasingly utilized short wavelength infrared (SWIR) technology, leveraging alteration mineral indicators. This paper briefly reviews the use of SWIR-based prediction techniques for typical lithocaps and Cu-Au deposits in the coastal volcanic belt of Southeast China, emphasizing recent progress in identifying key mineral indicators such as alunite, pyrophyllite, and sericite. The study indicates that the region has substantial potential for copper-gold exploration and emphasizes that integrated research—covering detailed volcanic structure analysis, magma-fluid-mineralization processes, and alteration-mineral prediction mechanisms will be essential for advancing new regional discoveries in Cu-Au exploration.