<p>Topographic irregularity is an important source of wave scattering in rugged near surface, yet its scattering effect is still difficult to quantify directly. Based on the boundary integral equation, we define a scattering strength parameter to quantify the scattering induced by rough surface. The scattered energy received from individual surface points can be quantitatively evaluated on the basis. Random topography is parameterized by the root-mean-square height and correlation length, and evaluated by the scattering strength. Theoretical model tests show that the method can effectively capture the influence of topographic parameters on scattering behavior. The scattering response increases with increasing root-mean-square height, whereas it generally decreases as the correlation length becomes larger, indicating that both the amplitude and spatial scale of surface fluctuations jointly control near-surface scattering. Compared with previously proposed parameters, i.e., seismological complexity, the method makes the separation between effective reflection and scattering possible. The method is further applied to field data from the Deer Creek Coal Mine area, demonstrating its practical applicability under real topographic conditions. The results suggest that scattering strength analysis provides a useful method for quantitatively linking topographic characteristics to seismic scattering wavefield, and has the potential for improving the understanding of topography-related wavefield distortion in seismic exploration.</p>