An efficient wave-defect interaction is the key to a high thermal response of flaws in ultrasonic thermography. To selectively enhance defect vibrations a concept of local defect resonance is developed and applied to ultrasonic activation of defects. The frequency match between the defect resonance frequency and the probing ultrasonic wave results in a substantial rise of a local defect temperature. The defect resonance is accompanied by depletion of the excitation frequency vibration due to nonlinear...