At China’s first Enhanced Geothermal System site, dense seismic observations, integrated with borehole data and stress modeling, reveal weak faults and scale-dependent control of stress and structure on induced seismicity.
China
Fatalities from landslides in earthquakes
A new study (Sun et al. 2026) shows that in six earthquakes in China between 2010 and 2022, landslides and rockfalls were responsible for at least half of the total fatalities. It is well-established that landslides are a major cause of loss of life in earthquakes in mountainous areas. The seismology maxim that “it is […]
The 10 December 2025 Huangci landslide in Gansu Province, China
A new paper in the journal landslides (Yang et al. 2026) details the 6.8 million cubic metre Huangci Landslide in China, which was a reactivation on a slope that has suffered two other failures in recent decades. On 10 December 2025, failure occurred in the large Huangci landslide in Gansu Province, China. The event is […]
The 16 June 2024 landslide cluster in Wuping County, Fujian Province, China
Six people were killed when intense rainfall triggered over 6,500 landslides On 16 June 2024, an extreme rainfall event triggered a dense cluster of landslides and channelised debris flows in Wuping County, Fujian Province, China. This is one of many such events in recent years – anecdotally at least, these events are becoming more common […]
Which Countries Are Paying the Highest Price for Particulate Air Pollution?
Reducing the effects of air pollution requires estimations of where it costs the most—in both money and lives.
The underlying causes of the 8 February 2025 Junlian rock avalanche in Sichuan Province, China
A new paper (Jia et al. 2026) has found that the 8 February 2025 Junlian rock avalanche was caused by progressive weakening of the rock mass through wetting and drying cycles. On 8 February 2025, the major Junlian rock avalanche landslide occurred at Jinping Village in Sichuan Province, China. A paper (Jia et al. 2026) […]
Landslides triggered by Typhoon Doksuri in northern China in July 2023
New research indicates that over 100,000 landslides were triggered by a single rainstorm. Back in July 2023, the remnants of Typhoon Doksuri swept across northern China, bringing exceptional rainfall. I briefly covered this at the time, but there was a lack of clear information about the impacts. A technical note has been published in the […]
Central China Water Towers Provide Stable Water Resources Under Change
A new reconstruction of river runoff from 1595 shows that Central China water towers deliver the most stable water supply from the high mountain ranges of the Pacific Rim.
An Ecosystem Never Forgets
A new study in southwestern China shows how ecosystems may exhibit “hydrological memory,” which affects how they react to extreme climate events such as heat and drought.
