A new technique for the incorporation of seafloor topography in electromagnetic modelling

Abstract

We describe a new technique for incorporating seafloor topography in electromagnetic modelling. It is based on a transformation of the topographic relief into a change in electrical conductivity and magnetic permeability within a flat seafloor. Since the technique allows us to model arbitrary topographic changes without extra grid cells and any restriction by vertical discretization, we can model very precise topographic changes easily without an extra burden in terms of computer memory or calculation time. The reliability and stability of the technique are tested by comparing the magnetotelluric responses from two synthetic seafloor topography models with three different approaches; these incorporate the topographic change in terms of (1) the change in conductance, using the thin-sheet approximation; (2) a series of rectangular block-like steps; and (3) triangular finite elements. The technique is easily applied to any modelling method including 3D modelling, allowing us to model complex structure in the Earth while taking full account of the 3D seafloor topography.