The semi-airborne transient electromagnetic method (SATEM) is a geophysical method that combines the advantages of high-power ground-based transmitting and efficient airborne observation. In recent years, the threshold for SATEM application significantly reduced through the integration of the multi-rotor UAVs and the systems obtained by simple redevelopment of existing ground-based systems. However, it is still difficult to obtain good detection results with such systems for the following specific reasons: in terms of system design, there is a lack of method for estimating the key parameters of the system, resulting in the designed system being unable to effectively meet the requirements of the SATEM method and observation scenarios; in terms of technology, there is a lack of effective means of ensuring a high signal-to-noise ratio (high-current transmitting and effective suppression of major external noise) while meeting the demand for distortion-free observation. In response to these issues, a system bandwidth estimation method based on the analysis of information-carrying capacity is proposed. On this basis, the solutions for large current and fast turn-off transmitter and for overcoming major external noise. Through a survey located in a karst landform area, and the overall application performance of the system is discussed based on the inversion results.
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