TDEM Basics#

Time-domain electromagnetic methods, often called TEM or TDEM, measure the earth’s transient response after a controlled transmitter current changes with time. In contrast to MT, AMT, and CSAMT, where the primary observations are frequency-domain impedances, TDEM records decay curves at discrete time gates. Early gates are mainly sensitive to shallow structure; later gates are influenced by progressively deeper currents.

pyCSAMT uses TDEM in three related ways:

  • reading and plotting field TDEM products such as TEMAVG and ZPLOT files;

  • converting TDEM soundings to MT-like impedance/EDI products when a workflow needs frequency-domain compatibility;

  • inverting TDEM decay data directly through the inversion API when the data vector contains times and values.

This page explains the physical concepts behind those workflows and the practical choices users must document.

Transient Diffusion#

In a common ground TDEM survey, a loop transmitter carries a steady current. At switch-off, the primary magnetic field collapses. Faraday induction creates eddy currents in the ground, and those currents diffuse outward and downward while decaying with time. The receiver measures a secondary-field quantity, commonly voltage, \(\partial B_z/\partial t\), or \(\partial H_z/\partial t\).

The diffusion character of TDEM is central. A useful dimensional estimate is

\[z(t) \propto \sqrt{\frac{\rho t}{\mu_0}},\]

where \(z\) is a characteristic investigation depth, \(\rho\) is resistivity, \(t\) is time after switch-off, and \(\mu_0\) is the magnetic permeability of free space. This is only a scale estimate, not a resolution guarantee. It says that later times and more resistive earth tend to sample larger depths.

The TDEM response is therefore not a direct depth log. It is a time series controlled by transmitter moment, receiver geometry, waveform, earth conductivity, and data processing.

What Is Measured#

TDEM instruments usually record receiver voltage over a sequence of off-time windows. The data are then processed into gate-centred values. In pyCSAMT, one sounding is represented by pycsamt.tdem.TEMSounding, whose main fields are:

Field

Meaning

time_gates

Centre times of the off-time measurement windows in seconds.

data

Decay value at each gate.

data_type

Units or normalization of the decay values: "dBdt", "dHdt", "voltage", or "normalized_voltage".

current

Transmitter current in amperes.

tx_area and tx_turns

Transmitter loop area and turns, used to compute magnetic moment.

rx_area and rx_turns

Receiver coil geometry, needed for raw-voltage normalization.

offset or rx_position

Receiver position relative to the transmitter loop.

waveform

Transmitter-current waveform used for transform corrections.

error

Optional absolute uncertainty at each time gate.

The transmitter magnetic moment is

\[M = I\,n_{\mathrm{tx}}\,A_{\mathrm{tx}},\]

where \(I\) is current, \(n_{\mathrm{tx}}\) is transmitter turns, and \(A_{\mathrm{tx}}\) is transmitter area. A larger moment increases signal amplitude and may improve late-time signal-to-noise, but it does not remove the need for correct geometry and noise handling.

Decay Curves#

A TDEM sounding is normally inspected as a decay curve: response amplitude versus time. Depending on the instrument and processing, the plotted value may be signed or absolute, linear or logarithmic, voltage or normalized field derivative.

For a simple central-loop late-time response over a uniform halfspace, \(|\partial B_z/\partial t|\) approximately follows a power-law decay:

\[\left|\frac{\partial B_z}{\partial t}\right| \propto M\,\rho^{-3/2}\,t^{-5/2}.\]

This motivates the late-time apparent-resistivity estimate used by many TEM workflows:

\[\rho_a(t) = \frac{\mu_0}{\pi} \left( \frac{\mu_0^2 M} {20\,|\partial B_z/\partial t|\,t^{5/2}} \right)^{2/3}.\]

This formula is built for an idealized central-loop configuration and late times. It is useful for quality control and approximate transformation, but it should not be mistaken for a full inversion.

Time Gates#

TDEM data are not sampled at every instant. Measurements are integrated over time windows, then represented by gate centres. Gate design controls what the survey can see.

Early gates:

  • are most sensitive to shallow structure;

  • can be affected by transmitter ramp, receiver saturation, and system response;

  • may contain strong cultural or capacitive noise;

  • require careful waveform correction when the ramp is not negligible.

Late gates:

  • carry deeper information;

  • often have lower signal-to-noise ratio;

  • are sensitive to stacking quality and background noise;

  • may become negative, unstable, or clipped after processing.

Do not invert gates blindly. Inspect the decay curve and mask gates that are outside the reliable signal band.

Waveforms#

The transmitter current does not always switch off instantaneously. pyCSAMT models several waveform types in pycsamt.tdem.waveform:

Waveform

Meaning

When to use

SquareWaveform

Ideal square-wave current with zero ramp time.

Late-time processing when ramp effects are negligible.

RampWaveform

Linear current turn-off over ramp_off seconds.

Early-time processing where finite ramp matters.

HalfSineWaveform

Half-sine current envelope.

Systems whose transmitted pulse follows a sinusoidal envelope.

CustomWaveform

User-supplied time/current samples.

Instrument-specific waveform corrections.

The switch-off waveform matters most when the first gates are close to the ramp duration. If a gate centre \(t\) is much larger than the ramp time, the ideal step approximation may be adequate. If \(t\) is comparable to the ramp, ignoring waveform shape can bias shallow apparent resistivity and transformed frequency-domain products.

Central-Loop and Offset Geometry#

Many ground TDEM surveys use a central-loop or coincident-loop geometry, where the receiver is near the centre of the transmitter loop. Other surveys use offset-loop, in-loop, slingram, or moving-loop layouts. Geometry changes the amplitude and spatial sensitivity of the response.

pyCSAMT stores:

  • transmitter area and turns;

  • current;

  • receiver coil area and turns;

  • loop shape and dimensions;

  • receiver offset or 2-D receiver position.

For non-central-loop configurations, a geometry correction may be required. The CLI conversion command exposes this as --no-geometry-correction to disable the default in-loop correction when the user intentionally wants raw or externally corrected values.

Apparent Resistivity#

TDEM apparent resistivity is a derived diagnostic, not a direct measurement. It asks: “What uniform halfspace would produce this gate value under the assumed geometry?” The answer varies with time because the real earth is not normally a uniform halfspace.

When plotted against time or pseudo-depth, apparent resistivity helps reveal:

  • conductive overburden;

  • resistive basement;

  • late-time conductors;

  • noisy gates;

  • inconsistent station responses;

  • bad normalization or geometry metadata.

But apparent resistivity does not uniquely identify geology. A conductor can come from clay, saline water, sulfides, graphite, cultural infrastructure, or some combination. Interpretation must use geology and independent constraints.

Pseudo-Frequency#

Some pyCSAMT workflows convert TDEM data to MT-like EDI files. This requires assigning an equivalent frequency to each time gate. A common convention is

\[f_{\mathrm{eq}}(t) = \frac{1}{2\pi t}.\]

This relation is a convention, not a physical statement that the time-domain measurement is identical to a sinusoidal MT measurement at one frequency. It is useful for approximate comparison, plotting, and frequency-domain pipeline compatibility.

pyCSAMT exposes pseudo-frequency choices through TDEM transforms and the CLI option --freq-convention. Users should report the convention used when TDEM data are converted to EDI or merged with frequency-domain products.

Late-Time Transform#

The late-time transform is fast and practical. It estimates apparent resistivity from the decay curve and then synthesizes an impedance magnitude at pseudo-frequency:

\[|Z(f_{\mathrm{eq}})| = \sqrt{\mu_0 \omega \rho_a}.\]

A phase must also be assigned to build a complex impedance. pyCSAMT exposes phase modes such as "homogeneous" and "weidelt" in the TDEM conversion workflow.

Use the late-time transform when:

  • data quality is sufficient and the target use is approximate frequency-domain compatibility;

  • the time gates are late enough for the approximation;

  • a fast survey-level conversion is more important than waveform-rigorous modelling.

Do not use it as proof that TDEM and MT data are interchangeable. The transformed product is an interpretation bridge.

Fourier Transform#

The more rigorous transform uses numerical Fourier integration to connect the time-domain response to frequency-domain quantities. It can include waveform effects and is better suited when early gates or non-ideal transmitter currents matter.

Use the Fourier transform when:

  • waveform metadata are reliable;

  • early-time information is important;

  • the transmitter waveform departs from an ideal step;

  • the transformed impedance will be used in a sensitive inversion or joint interpretation.

The cost is that it requires more complete acquisition metadata and is more computationally involved.

pyCSAMT Data Flow#

The TDEM subpackage follows a practical data flow:

  1. read TEMAVG, ZPLOT, coordinate, or log files;

  2. build pycsamt.tdem.TEMSounding objects;

  3. attach geometry, waveform, station names, and coordinates;

  4. inspect decay curves, sections, maps, and gate profiles;

  5. optionally transform soundings to EDI collections;

  6. pass transformed or direct TDEM data into inversion and interpretation workflows.

Minimal Python example:

 1import numpy as np
 2from pycsamt.tdem import TEMSounding, TEMtoEDI
 3
 4times = np.logspace(-5, -2, 30)
 5dbdt = 5e-5 * times ** (-2.5)
 6
 7sounding = TEMSounding(
 8    times,
 9    dbdt,
10    current=8.0,
11    tx_area=100.0 ** 2,
12    data_type="dBdt",
13    station_name="S01",
14    x=1000.0,
15    y=500.0,
16)
17
18converter = TEMtoEDI(method="late_time", phase_mode="weidelt")
19collection = converter.transform(sounding)

Survey-folder conversion:

 1from pycsamt.tdem import read_temavg_soundings, transform_temavg_survey
 2
 3soundings = read_temavg_soundings(
 4    "data/TEMAVG/JIANGSU",
 5    component="Hz",
 6    pattern="*.AVG",
 7)
 8
 9result = transform_temavg_survey(
10    "data/TEMAVG/JIANGSU",
11    component="Hz",
12    method="late_time",
13    freq_convention="skin_depth",
14    phase_mode="homogeneous",
15    savepath="outputs/tdem_edi",
16)

Command-line conversion:

1pycsamt tdem info data/TEMAVG/JIANGSU
2pycsamt tdem convert data/TEMAVG/JIANGSU --dry-run
3pycsamt tdem convert data/TEMAVG/JIANGSU \
4    --output-dir outputs/tdem_edi \
5    --method late_time \
6    --component Hz

Plotting and QC#

Before conversion or inversion, plot the TDEM data. pyCSAMT provides plot helpers for:

  • decay curves;

  • transformed apparent resistivity;

  • TEMAVG sections;

  • ZPLOT sections;

  • station maps;

  • elevation profiles;

  • gate profiles;

  • compact dashboards.

Example:

1from pycsamt.tdem import read_temavg_soundings, plot_decay
2
3soundings = read_temavg_soundings("data/TEMAVG/JIANGSU")
4ax = plot_decay(soundings)

When reviewing plots, look for:

  • sign reversals not explained by expected physics;

  • late-time noise floors;

  • early-time saturation or ramp artifacts;

  • stations with inconsistent amplitude after geometry normalization;

  • gates missing across many stations;

  • profile-aligned cultural features;

  • elevation or topography effects near station clusters.

TDEM Inversion#

TDEM can be inverted directly as a decay curve. In pyCSAMT’s inversion configuration, this means method="tdem" and data containing time gates and response values. The shared error model treats TDEM values with relative and absolute floors, using configuration options such as error_floor and backend-specific tdem_relative or tdem_absolute.

Minimal inversion sketch:

 1from pycsamt.inversion import InversionConfig, InversionWorkflow
 2
 3cfg = InversionConfig(
 4    method="tdem",
 5    dimension="1d",
 6    backend="builtin",
 7    data={
 8        "times": [1e-5, 3e-5, 1e-4, 3e-4, 1e-3],
 9        "values": [2.0e-7, 5.0e-8, 1.2e-8, 2.5e-9, 6.0e-10],
10    },
11    n_layers=5,
12    error_floor=0.05,
13    regularization="smooth",
14)
15
16result = InversionWorkflow(cfg).run()
17print(result.rms)

Direct TDEM inversion avoids the interpretive step of synthesizing EDI files. Use it when the inversion backend supports the required TDEM physics and the survey geometry is represented adequately.

Combining TDEM With AMT, MT, or CSAMT#

TDEM is often combined with frequency-domain methods because they complement each other:

  • TDEM is strong for shallow conductive structure and static-shift control;

  • AMT/CSAMT may provide better frequency-domain continuity along profiles;

  • MT can extend sensitivity to greater depths;

  • transformed TDEM can help initialize or constrain frequency-domain interpretation.

However, the data are not identical measurements. When combining them:

  • keep original TDEM decay data;

  • record transform method and pseudo-frequency convention;

  • avoid over-weighting transformed TDEM points as if they were measured MT impedance;

  • check overlap consistency rather than forcing agreement;

  • document whether TDEM is used as direct inversion data, transformed EDI, or external constraint.

Noise and Error Floors#

TDEM noise is time dependent. Early gates can be affected by transmitter and receiver system response; late gates can approach the noise floor. A single percentage error is rarely perfect, but it is better than pretending all gates are exact.

The normalized residual for inversion is

\[r_i = \frac{d_{\mathrm{obs},i} - d_{\mathrm{pred},i}}{\sigma_i}.\]

For TDEM data, a practical error model combines relative and absolute floors:

\[\sigma_i = \max( f_{\mathrm{tdem}} |d_i|, \sigma_{\mathrm{abs}} ).\]

The absolute floor prevents tiny late-time values from receiving excessive weight. The relative floor prevents high-amplitude gates from dominating only because their values are large.

Depth of Investigation#

TDEM depth of investigation is not a single number. It depends on:

  • transmitter moment;

  • receiver noise floor;

  • loop size and geometry;

  • earth resistivity;

  • gate range;

  • stacking and processing quality;

  • target geometry;

  • inversion regularization.

A late-time gate may not contain useful depth information if it is dominated by noise. Conversely, a shallow conductive layer can screen deeper structure, reducing the ability of later gates to resolve resistive basement.

A good report should state the reliable time range and avoid interpreting features below the supported depth range.

Common Mistakes#

Avoid these mistakes:

  • mixing milliseconds and seconds in time_gates;

  • using raw voltage without receiver area and turns;

  • forgetting transmitter current, area, or turns;

  • treating pseudo-frequency as measured MT frequency;

  • applying a late-time transform to early-time ramp-contaminated data;

  • interpreting noisy late gates as deep conductors;

  • dropping sign information without documenting why;

  • converting to EDI without recording transform method and phase mode;

  • combining TDEM and AMT/MT data with incompatible weights;

  • reporting a smooth apparent-resistivity curve as a unique geological model.

Reporting Checklist#

Include the following in reports or project metadata:

  • instrument and file type, such as TEMAVG or ZPLOT;

  • transmitter current, loop size, loop turns, and receiver geometry;

  • waveform type, base frequency, ramp time, or custom waveform file;

  • time-gate range and gates removed;

  • data type and units;

  • coordinate file and station naming;

  • transform method, pseudo-frequency convention, and phase mode;

  • error floors used for inversion;

  • plots of decay curves and gate/profile sections;

  • limitations on depth of investigation and geological interpretation.

Next Steps#

For implementation details, see:

References#

The transient diffusion and apparent-resistivity concepts follow standard TDEM references [NabighianMacnae1991] and [Christiansen2009]. General EM field theory follows [WardHohmann1988].