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Earthquakes
Types Mainshock Foreshock Aftershock Blind thrust Doublet Interplate Intraplate Megathrust Remotely triggered Slow Submarine Supershear Tsunami Earthquake swarm
Causes Fault movement Volcanism Induced seismicity
Characteristics Epicenter Epicentral distance Hypocenter Shadow zone Seismic waves P wave S wave
Measurement Seismometer Seismic magnitude scales Seismic intensity scales
Prediction Coordinating Committee for Earthquake Prediction Forecasting
Other topics Shear wave splitting Adams–Williamson equation Flinn–Engdahl regions Earthquake engineering Seismite Seismology
Earth Sciences Portal Category Related topics

Subterranean rumbling is a phenomenon in which the ground vibrates and makes sounds due to an earthquake.

During earthquakes or volcanic eruptions, the ground vibrates, sometimes creating short-period seismic wave motion (ground motion) that reaches the air and becomes sounds (sound waves), and low sounds can be heard.^[1]

This often occurs during shallow-focus earthquakes and earthquake swarms. Even microearthquakes that produce noticeable tremors can sometimes produce rumbling.

Hard ground tends to amplify rumbling.

In earthquake-prone Japan rumbling is frequently observed near Mt. Tsukuba in Ibaraki Prefecture. This is believed to be due to local exposure of basement rocks.^[2] During the 1965 Matsushiro earthquake swarm, a remarkable subterranean rumbling was observed.^[3][4]

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