Magneto-seismic exploration method and system

A system for a magneto-seismic exploration of a subsurface region, comprising:

• an electromagnetic power source configured to transmit a time-varying electromagnetic field into a subsurface region, in the presence of a static or time-varying magnetic field, such that the electromagnetic power source of the time-varying electromagnetic field is disposed to have a component of an electric field associated with the time-varying electromagnetic field be substantially parallel to an interface, at depth, between two subsurface formations in the subsurface region and be substantially parallel or substantially perpendicular to a component of a magnetic field that is substantially parallel to the interface at depth, wherein the magnetic field is a static or time-varying magnetic field, and the component of the electric field interacts with the component of the magnetic field and creates a Lorentz force in each of the subsurface formations;
• one or more seismic receivers configured to detect a magneto-seismic signal generated by the Lorentz force change at the interface between the two subsurface formations;
• and
• a computer system programmed to process and present the detected magneto-seismic signal.