Rainfall-Induced Landslide–Debris Flow Hazard Chains in Loess Regions: Triggering Mechanisms, Warning Thresholds, and Risk Assessment

Rainfall-induced landslides and debris flows represent some of the most hazardous geomorphic processes in loess regions, where weakly cemented and highly erodible soils promote rapid slope failure and subsequent flow transformation. The inherently collapsible and porous structure of loess, combined with intense rainfall, results in complex hazard chains that can lead to severe socioeconomic and environmental impacts. Recent studies have advanced understanding of the hydro-mechanical mechanisms of loess failure, rainfall infiltration dynamics, and spatial patterns of slope susceptibility. However, major uncertainties remain in quantifying triggering thresholds, predicting coupled landslide–debris flow behavior, and assessing evolving hazard cascades under changing climatic and anthropogenic pressures. The absence of region-specific early warning frameworks and high-resolution hazard mapping further limits proactive disaster mitigation in these sensitive landscapes.This Research Topic aims to deepen the scientific understanding of rainfall-induced landslide–debris flow hazard chains in loess regions and to promote interdisciplinary methods for risk reduction. The goal is to elucidate the physical and environmental factors governing slope instability, establish rainfall-triggering thresholds, and enhance the predictive capability of multi-hazard models. It seeks to bring together research that integrates field observations, laboratory experiments, remote sensing, hydrometeorological data analysis, and numerical or statistical modeling. By synthesizing such approaches, this Research Topic will foster advances in dynamic hazard assessment, early warning system development, and policy-informed risk management, ultimately contributing to greater community resilience in loess-prone areas.The scope of this Research Topic encompasses studies on the initiation, evolution, and mitigation of rainfall-induced landslide–debris flow hazard chains in loess terrains, including both foundational research and applied case studies. It welcomes multidisciplinary contributions spanning geomorphology, hydrology, geotechnical engineering, and disaster risk science.To gather further insights into hazard processes and risk management in loess regions, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:• Triggering mechanisms and hydro-mechanical processes of rainfall-induced landslides in loess• Coupled landslide–debris flow dynamics and hazard evolution in gullied and mountainous terrains• Establishing and validating rainfall intensity–duration threshold models• Multi-source data integration using field surveys, remote sensing, and hydrometeorological observations• Experimental and process-based modeling of slope instability and flow transformation• Early warning frameworks and real-time hazard monitoring systems• Spatial risk assessment, mapping, and scenario-based hazard simulation• Climate variability, land-use change, and human-induced impacts on loess slope stability• Cascading hydro-geomorphic hazards and their implications for regional disaster management Topic editors: Heping Shu, Hongzhi Cui, Jiaxu Jin, Te Pei, Yaolan Tang Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/81805/rainfall-induced-landslide-debris-flow-hazard-chains-in-loess-regions-triggering-mechanisms-warning-thresholds-and-risk-assessment