Seismic modeling is a useful tool for studying the propagation of seismic waves within complex structures. However, traditional methods of seismic simulation cannot meet the needs for studying seismic wavefields in the complex geological structures found in seismic exploration of the mountainous area in Northwestern China. More powerful techniques of seismic modeling are demanded for this purpose. In this paper, two methods of finite element-finite difference method （FE-FDM） and arbitrary difference precise integration （ADPI） for seismic forward modeling have been developed and implemented to understand the behavior of seismic waves in complex geological subsurface structures and reservoirs. Two case studies show that the FE-FDM and ADPI techniques are well suited to modeling seismic wave propagation in complex geology.
