The induced polarization (IP) method can play an important role in the exploration of seafloor polymetallic sulfide deposits. Compared to frequency-domain IP, time-domain IP (TDIP) requires a simpler apparatus configuration and can be more widely and economically deployed for operations in seafloor environments. To investigate the effect of the seafloor environment on the TDIP measurement and find suitable parameters to characterize metallic bodies, laboratory experiments on synthetic samples were carried out based on a special electrical experimental system. The time-domain Cole–Cole model and relaxation time distribution (RTD) method were combined to process and interpret the measured data. The results show that the volume content of metallic minerals in ore-bearing rocks can be directly quantified by the total chargeability. The sizes of metallic particles can be approximately determined by the relaxation time defined from the peak of the RTD. The RTD method was used to distinguish multiple polarizable sources, such as sulfide and basalt. TDIP surveying in the marine environment is more efficient than surveying in the terrestrial environment. A short time delay used before starting secondary voltage measurements is more suitable for a successful TDIP survey in a high-salinity environment. In addition, the chargeability is shown to be more sensitive to the variation in the volume content of metallic minerals than the direct current resistivity.

诱导极化（IP）法在海底多金属硫化物矿床的勘探中可发挥重要作用。与频域 IP 相比，时域 IP (TDIP) 需要更简单的设备配置，并且可以更广泛、更经济地部署用于海底环境中的操作。为了研究海底环境对 TDIP 测量的影响并找到合适的参数来表征金属体，基于特殊的电学实验系统对合成样品进行了实验室实验。结合时域 Cole-Cole 模型和弛豫时间分布 (RTD) 方法对测量数据进行处理和解释。结果表明，含矿岩石中金属矿物的体积含量可以通过总带电率直接量化。金属颗粒的尺寸可以通过从 RTD 的峰值定义的弛豫时间来近似确定。RTD 方法用于区分多种可极化来源，例如硫化物和玄武岩。TDIP 在海洋环境中的测量比在陆地环境中的测量效率更高。在开始二次电压测量之前使用的短时间延迟更适合在高盐度环境中成功进行 TDIP 测量。此外，与直流电阻率相比，可充电性对金属矿物体积含量的变化更敏感。TDIP 在海洋环境中的测量比在陆地环境中的测量效率更高。在开始二次电压测量之前使用的短时间延迟更适合在高盐度环境中成功进行 TDIP 测量。此外，与直流电阻率相比，可充电性对金属矿物体积含量的变化更敏感。TDIP 在海洋环境中的测量比在陆地环境中的测量效率更高。在开始二次电压测量之前使用的短时间延迟更适合在高盐度环境中成功进行 TDIP 测量。此外，与直流电阻率相比，可充电性对金属矿物体积含量的变化更敏感。