In this method, the signal received from each pulse is square-law detected.
At each delay (or depth) interval, a group of these detected input waveforms
are added together. Each output waveform is mapped adjacent to its predecessors
in sequence, to build the profile shown in the figure. This method is known
in the geophysical community as "incoherent stacking".
Essentially all of the reflected signal data are retained by incoherent stacking. Thus, this method provides a point of reference for signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) comparisons. The disadvantage of incoherent stacking is that reflections from the same depth layer can appear as if they were at greater depth than those at minimum range, which corresponds to reflections from directly below the sounding radar. These extra range reflections appear in this figure as convex hyperbolae. In a complex environment, such as a sub-glacial valley or extensively stratified ice, the unwanted "clutter" signals from off-nadir scatterers can dominate the response, thus occluding valid elements of the profile. One measure of this performance factor is the sounder's signal-to-clutter ratio (SCR).