A method for performing a physical action related to a formation, the method comprising the steps of: transmitting a first time-domain transient electromagnetic signal into a borehole penetrating the formation and into the formation using a downhole EM wave propagation tool configured to be conveyed through the borehole, the first time-domain transient EM signal comprising frequency domain components in a range of at least 1MHz to 1GHz; receiving a second time-domain transient EM signal from the borehole and the formation due to the transmitting of the first time-domain transient EM signal using the downhole EM wave propagation tool, the second time-domain transient EM signal comprising frequency domain components in the range of at least 1MHz to 1GHz; calculating, with a processor, an S-parameter attenuation as a function of frequency and an S-parameter phase shift as a function of frequency using the first time-domain transient EM signal and the second time-domain transient EM signal; identifying, with the processor, a reference comprising a reference S-parameter attenuation as a function of frequency and a reference S-parameter phase shift as a function of frequency that are within a selected range of the calculated S-parameter attenuation as a function of frequency and the calculated S-parameter phase shift as a function of frequency, the reference representing at least one of a reference EM wave propagation tool parameter, a borehole parameter, and a formation parameter, the formation parameter comprising at least one of a resistivity value and a permittivity value of the formation as a function of frequency; assigning, with the processor, the at least one of the resistivity value and the permittivity value of the reference to the formation as a function of logging depth; and performing the physical action related to the formation using the at least one of the assigned resistivity value and the assigned permittivity value as a function of logging depth. transmitting a first time-domain transient electromagnetic signal into a borehole penetrating the formation and into the formation using a downhole EM wave propagation tool configured to be conveyed through the borehole, the first time-domain transient EM signal comprising frequency domain components in a range of at least 1MHz to 1GHz; receiving a second time-domain transient EM signal from the borehole and the formation due to the transmitting of the first time-domain transient EM signal using the downhole EM wave propagation tool, the second time-domain transient EM signal comprising frequency domain components in the range of at least 1MHz to 1GHz; calculating, with a processor, an S-parameter attenuation as a function of frequency and an S-parameter phase shift as a function of frequency using the first time-domain transient EM signal and the second time-domain transient EM signal; identifying, with the processor, a reference comprising a reference S-parameter attenuation as a function of frequency and a reference S-parameter phase shift as a function of frequency that are within a selected range of the calculated S-parameter attenuation as a function of frequency and the calculated S-parameter phase shift as a function of frequency, the reference representing at least one of a reference EM wave propagation tool parameter, a borehole parameter, and a formation parameter, the formation parameter comprising at least one of a resistivity value and a permittivity value of the formation as a function of frequency; assigning, with the processor, the at least one of the resistivity value and the permittivity value of the reference to the formation as a function of logging depth; and performing the physical action related to the formation using the at least one of the assigned resistivity value and the assigned permittivity value as a function of logging depth.