• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.154-160
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• 2007

This paper compares the characteristics of three different algorithms for three-dimensional (3D) magnetotelluric (MT) modeling. These methods are developed by Mackie et al. (1994), Sasaki (1999) and Nam et al. (2007). The first and second methods are based on the finite difference method (FDM), while the last one the finite-element method (FEM). MT responses, apparent resistivities and phases, for a COMMEMI 3D-2 model show a good agreement with integral equation solutions and only minor discrepancies are found over the anomalous bodies in the 3D model. The computation time of the two methods based on FDM is short and the static divergence correction contributes to speed up. The FEM modeling scheme is accurate but slow.