Stochastic Data Processing or S D P enables to quantify and maximize the performance of a given geophysical process . In the context of stacking, for example, conventional deterministic stacking methods are about enhancing the signal to noise ratio of pre-stack amplitudes by simple averaging of pre-stack traces.

S D P offers a more robust alternative. SDP is about enhancing the stacked signal by computing a "best optimized" weighted average of pre-stack traces and computing the attached minimized variance of estimation.