Squaring the pressure signal makes noise and reverberation measurable on a common scale

Evidence

When the modulation is computed from a squared pressure response, representing the energy, the effects of background noise and reverberation are made commensurate. Also, the sinusoidal modulation of a carrier signal, after the effects of noise and reverberation, is preserved as a sinusoid, though with a lower modulation depth. — Ville Pulkki, Matti Karjalainen, Communication Acoustics- An…, 2399

Categorization

• DEFINE: Distinguishes intensity (net energy flow) from pressure-squared energy in STI literature.