The Qiangtang Basin on Tibetan Plateau is characterized by near- surface permanent permafrost and steep Mesozoic strata. These geological condition results in a low seismic signal- to- noise ratio (SNR) and complex wavefields, which pose significant challenges for seismic imaging and structural identification.Methods: Based on the theory of Paraxial Ray, which loosens the assumption of a horizontal layered model, the common- reflection- surface (CRS) stack applied in seismic processing, offers the potential for high- SNR prestack gathers and poststack profiles and exhibits obvious advantages in permafrost zones.Results:Using real 2D seismic data from the Qiangtang Basin, this paper first compares the CRS stack with conventional seismic processing technologies, including CMP flexbinning, Prestack random noise attenuation (PreRNA), and Dip Moveout (DMO), to improve the SNR. The results indicate that the prestack gathers derived from the CRS stack are optimal not only in terms of SNR and signal fidelity but also in terms of MVA quality control. Furthermore, the CRS zero- offset profile exhibits richer diffractions at middle and long apertures compared to those processed using DMO, PreRNA, and flexbinning, which is beneficial for future imaging of faults and strata breakouts.Conclusions: For improving the seismic SNR in permafrost zones, the above comparisons and applications demonstrate that the CRS stack can be effectively utilized as one of the key technologies in seismic processing. It favorably achieves depth—domain imaging of complex structures and accelerates oil and gas exploration in the Qiangtang Basin.