Abstract:
The "golden triangle" of Yunnan, Guizhou, and Guangxi represents the core distribution area of Carlin-type gold deposits in China. The "multi-level structural detachment metallogenic system of Carlin-type gold deposits in Southern China," constructed around the structural alteration body (SBT), stands as a landmark achievement in metallogenic theory innovation and exploration breakthroughs in this region. The development of this metallogenic system has gone through four stages, namely germination, initial establishment, development, and finalization, spanning 30 years of sustained research efforts and achieving a systematic evolution from typical deposit analysis to the finalization of a theoretical framework. In the germination stage (1992–2001), detailed studies of the Zimudang and Yanshang gold deposits established geochemical discriminant indicators for deposit types, laying the foundation for the preliminary theory. The initial establishment stage (2002–2008) innovatively introduced the concept of the SBT and established the metallogenic model for the Huijiabao Gold Field, marking a transition from descriptive studies to theoretical innovation. During the development stage (2009–2020), the scope of metallogenic research expanded to the entire Yunnan−Guizhou−Guangxi region, enhancing the understanding of regional metallogenic integrity and unity and gradually forming the basic framework of the regional metallogenic system. The finalization stage (2021–2024) established the SBT discrimination system, metallogenic series, and exploration prediction model, finalizing the theory with a monograph. Centered on the SBT and driven by multi-level structural detachment, this metallogenic system provides a unified explanation for the spatiotemporal distribution, ore-controlling conditions, and metallogenic mechanisms of regional gold deposits. It offers significant theoretical and technical support for deep exploration and "deep prospecting and blind deposit targeting" of Carlin-type gold deposits in Southern China.