Harmonic tremor

A harmonic tremor is a sustained release of seismic and infrasonic energy typically associated with the underground movement of magma, the venting of volcanic gases from magma, or both in volcanoes, and with repetitive stick-slip or other impulsive activity in non-volcanic systems.

It is a long-duration release of seismic energy, often containing distinct spectral lines.

Nonvolcanic, episodic tremor at plate boundaries (particularly in subduction zones) has been attributed to swarms of long-period earthquakes [1] and is distinguished by the term episodic tremor and slip (ETS) and may occur during slow earthquakes.

The source process of iceberg harmonic tremor has been attributed to highly repetitive quasi-periodic stick-slip at ice-seafloor or ice-ice contacts.

[2] The relation between long-period events and an imminent eruption was first observed by Bernard Chouet, a volcanologist who was working at the United States Geological Survey.