The 2018 “5.12” Wenchuan Earthquake was one of the most devastating seismic events in history, triggering tens of thousands of co-seismic landslides. In the years that followed, major earthquakes such as the Haiti Earthquake (2010), the Gorkha Earthquake in Nepal (2015), the Kaikōura Earthquake in New Zealand (2016), and the Turkey-Syria Earthquake (2023) have occurred, each causing significant geological hazards. The Wenchuan Earthquake occurred at the initial stages of the rapid advancements in Earth observation technologies, including satellite remote sensing. In recent years, the increasingly availability of observational data has laid a solid foundation for understanding the cascading hazards induced by earthquakes. The spatial-temporal evolution patterns, underlying mechanisms, and strategies for risk prevention and control of these cascading hazards have attracted significant global attention, leading to substantial research achievements.

This symposium, marking the 17th anniversary of the Wenchuan Earthquake, aims to provide a platform for scholars worldwide who study earthquake-induced hazards chains. It seeks to summarize the impacts, mechanisms, long-term effects, and strategies for risk prevention and control related to strong seismic hazards chains on a global scale, addressing the severe challenges posed by these hazards.

The 6th International Symposium is a continuation of the series of seminars on Mega Earthquake and geological hazards. Since 2009, we have successfully held the first five high-level international conferences: (1) The International Association of Engineering Geology and environment (IAEG) and the seventh Asian Conference on Engineering Geology (2009); (2) Seminar on the third anniversary of the earthquake in Wenchuan County (2011); (3) International symposium on earthquake-induced geological hazards and disaster reduction-cum international symposium on Commemoration of the fifth anniversary of the Wenchuan County earthquake (2013); (4) International Symposium on risk and long-term effects of geological hazards in strong earthquake areas-cum fourth international symposium on Strong earthquake geological hazards and their after-effects (2015); (5)The Fifth International Symposium on Mega earthquake geological hazards and their after-effects (2018). In the past 15 years, the conferences have not only provided an excellent platform for international academic exchanges and cooperation, but also greatly promoted the innovation and deepening in the field of global mega earthquake geological disaster research.

The theme of this symposium is "Mega Earthquake-Induced Geo-Hazard Chain and Long-term Effects", which will focus on topics such as the mechanisms and prediction of earthquake-induced geological disaster chains. We hope to bring together experts and scholars from around the world in the field of strong seismic geological disaster chain research, to engage in in-depth discussions and exchanges, thereby promoting international cooperation and advancing global research on strong seismic geological disasters.

We are looking forward to your participation and hope to meet you. At the same time, we hope you will enjoy the presentations at the conference and experience the traditional culture of Chengdu and China.