Three-dimensional transient electromagnetic response of multiple grounded-wire sources

Multiple grounded-wire sources combination are proposed to improve the signal strength and resolution of the transient electromagnetic method. Multi-source excitation from the different direction was executed to identify the conductive body in the subsurface and achieve refined detection of the target body. The vector finite element method based on the rational Krylov subspace projection algorithm was used to calculate transient response of the target bodies. The voltage response calculated by our algorithm was compared with that calculated by the integral equation method and the results agreed well with them. We designed different grounded-wire combinations, including a single source, pairs of sources, and groups of three and four sources, and analyzed induced EMF and the secondary field response of one conductive body. It indicates that multi-source transient method can obtain stronger signals, which is beneficial to the discovery of deep weak anomalies. Finally, we established two adjacent conductive block bodies and compared their electromagnetic response for the different source combination. The results showed that multiple-source transient electromagnetic response anomaly amplitude and lateral resolution are superior to those of a single source. Multi-channel diagram for multiple sources have two obvious peaks, especially for three sources and four sources, but the induced EMF from a single source does not differentiate between the two conductive bodies in the horizontal direction. Multiple grounded-wire source combinations are used not only for the surface transient electromagnetic method but can also be extended to the grounded electrical-source airborne transient electromagnetic survey.