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Science 25 November 2005:
Vol. 310. no. 5752, p. 1299
DOI: 10.1126/science.1117145
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Brevia

Singing Icebergs

Christian Müller,1,2* Vera Schlindwein,2 Alfons Eckstaller,2 Heinrich Miller2

Sustained harmonic tremor signals were recorded by the seismographs of the German Neumayer Base seismological network in western Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica. These tremor episodes, lasting up to 16 hours, were recorded up to 820 kilometers from the source. Their spectra show narrow peaks with fundamental frequencies ranging from 0.5 to 6 hertz, more than 30 integer harmonic overtones, and frequency gliding, resembling volcanic tremor. Frequency-wave number analysis suggested a moving source, which was recognized as iceberg B-09A traveling along the coast of eastern Antarctica. The most probable tremor sources are fluid-flow-induced vibrations inside the iceberg's tunnel/crevasse systems.

1 FIELAX Gesellschaft für wissenschaftliche, Datenverarbeitung mbH, Schifferstraße 10-14, 27568 Bremerhaven, Germany.
2 Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Columbusstraße, 27568 Bremerhaven, Germany.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: mueller{at}fielax.de

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