What are the smaller quakes that occur after a major earthquake called?

Aftershocks are the smaller quakes that happen following a major earthquake. They occur as the Earth's crust adjusts to the changes in stress caused by the main seismic event. After the initial, more powerful earthquake, the tectonic plates may still be unstable, leading to these subsequent smaller quakes, which can vary in magnitude and intensity.

Tremors can refer to any minor shaking, so while related, they aren't specifically the smaller events that follow a major quake. Shockwaves are the immediate energy released during an earthquake, traveling through the Earth and causing initial shaking, but they do not refer to the subsequent activity after the main event. Seismic waves are the general term for the waves of energy produced during an earthquake, encompassing all types of waves generated, including both the initial waves and aftershocks, but they do not specifically denote the smaller quakes that occur post-mainquake.