In the absence of multiple scattering the lateral correlation function
of the reflected wavefield can be related to the lateral correlation
function of the medium. We have analyzed the lateral correlation
function of a series of synthetic seismograms from stochastic models
of reflective lower crust with the structural and petrophysical statistics
of the Ivrea Zone. Our results show that in the presence of Ivrea-type
lower crustal heterogeneity the lateral correlation function of the
backscattered wavefield is insensitive to the lateral correlation
function of the scattering medium, which suggests that multiple scattering
is important in the reflective lower crust. This interpretation is
consistent with lower crustal reflections commonly being shorter
than a Fresnel zone, the absence of clear diffractions and the poor
performance of standard migration algorithms on deep seismic reflection
data.