Characteristics of heavy mineral composition in the modern sedimentary systems and the potential for placer mineralization along southeast coast of China

Along the southeast coast of China, aeolian dunes, the “old red sand” and tidal ridges constitute sandy sedimentary systems that serve as potential sources for critical mineral resources such as zircon and monazite. This paper, building upon the summary of previous studies on the geological background of the South China Block and the division of metallogenic belts for coastal placers, provides an overview of the content and combination characteristics of detrital heavy minerals in major sandy sediments from rivers, coastal areas, and the East China continental shelf. It endeavors to comprehend the distribution and enrichment factors of detrital heavy minerals within different sedimentary systems from the perspective of a macro-source-sink system that spans rivers, coasts and shelves. Overall, the types and distributions of coastal placers along the southeast coast are primarily influenced by a combination of bedrock types, weathering conditions, types and association characteristics of ore deposits in metallogenic belt, sedimentary-geomorphic features, hydrodynamic conditions, and sea-level changes. Future research should concentrate on sedimentary systems such as coastal aeolian dunes, the “old red sand”, shelf tidal ridges, while integrating chronological, mineralogical, geophysical exploration, and artificial intelligence methods. Guided by the concept of sediment source-sink processes, the establishment of new regional metallogenic and exploring models for placer mineralization along the southeastern coast is imperative.