Imac making chirping sound?

My 27" imac i5 has been making an annoying chirping sound during regular use (web browsing, video playing), also while in sleep mode. Has anyone else experienced this issue, what might be the problem?

Hi, my iMac made similar noises, a day or two before it froze while working in iPhoto. I then got the flashing question mark when switching on again...... I now have been told my drive is faulty, and after only 8 months it has crashed. It was totally unexpected, I'm an artist not a computer technician, and very ignorantly, I didnt think Mac's crshed, until after the fact and once joining this forum! (I've used Windows up till now, always backed up and never crashed) I hadn't backed up, regretably , so the only advice I can give, is to back up your drive because this noise could signify a faulty drive.
rubeyc

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    my applications http://seankelleys.com/media/images/10-01-11-applications.png
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