Advances In Transient Electromagnetic Methods for Mineral Exploration: A Review of The Recent Decade

Transient Electromagnetic (TEM) methods have undergone significant advancements over the past decade, revolutionizing their application in mineral exploration. This review synthesizes recent developments in TEM technology, data acquisition, processing, and interpretation, highlighting their enhanced capability to detect conductive ore bodies at greater depths and with higher resolution. Innovations such as quantum sensors, UAV-based surveys, and integration with complementary geophysical techniques have improved subsurface imaging accuracy. Furthermore, machine learning algorithms like CNN-GRU and MagEMNet have advanced data inversion and mineral prospectivity mapping, enabling more efficient exploration strategies. This review examines the principles of TEM, including electromagnetic induction and eddy current decay, alongside modern survey configurations and data processing techniques. Key advancements in instrumentation, such as high-power transmitters and sensitive receivers, are discussed, along with novel noise reduction methods and 2.5D/3D inversion algorithms. Case studies from diverse geological settings (e.g., Athabasca Basin, Yongxin gold deposit) demonstrate TEM’s effectiveness in identifying uranium, gold, and porphyry copper deposits. The results underscore TEM’s success in deep exploration, particularly when integrated with multi-method approaches. Challenges such as cultural noise and resistant environments persist, but emerging trends like real-time processing, AI-driven interpretation, and drone-based TEM systems offer promising solutions. The review concludes by emphasizing TEM’s transformative impact on mineral exploration and recommends that future research focus on 3D modeling, UAV sensor development, and scalable data processing to further enhance exploration efficiency and accuracy. These advancements will be critical for sustainable resource discovery in complex geological environments. Keywords: Transient Electromagnetic, Mineral Exploration, Quantum Sensors, Machine Learning, 3D Inversion Algorithms, UAV-based Geophysical Surveys