Milestones of the IASPEI Commission RI²sE

The IASPEI Commission on the Scientific Expedition of Earthquakes (the Comm. SEE) was firstly proposed during the 28th IUGG General Assembly Meeting in Berlin in 2023, by Prof. Li Ying and Vice President Prof. Li Li.

 

Taking the opportunity of the International Symposium Meeting on Deep Earth Exploration and Practice (the DEEP 2024) in Beijing, a panel meeting was held, with the participation of Secretary General Prof. Johannes Schweitzer, Vice President Prof. Li Li, Vice President Prof. Dmitry Storchak, and Former President Prof. Wu Zhongliang. 

During the panel meeting, it was proposed that the tentative name of the commission adopt the Preparatory Commission on the International and Interdisciplinary field Investigation of significant Earthquakes (the PrepComm I³E).

Fig.1 Panel meeting held before the DEEP 2024

Fig.2 Panel meeting participants. From left to right: Zhang Yongxian, Johannes Schweitzer, Dmitry Storchak, Wu Zhongliang, Li Li, Li Ying and Zhu Fangfang

Interactions with international colleagues were conducted through the 15^th Asian Seismological Commission (ASC) Assembly in Antalya and the 4^th African Seismological Commission (AfSC) Assembly in Windhock, respectively. In Windhock Prof. Li Ying further discussed with President Prof. Michelle Grabelaar and Secretary General Prof. Johanese Schweitzer as well as the leaders of the AfSC, and reported on Scientific Investigation of Large Earthquakes in China, showed China's experience, methodologies, and technical approaches in the scientific investigation of major earthquakes and introduced to the conference the proposal to establish the commission.

Fig.3 Prof. Li Ying introduced the Scientific Investigation of Large Earthquakes in China in ASC 2024, Antalya.

Fig.4 The PrepComm I3 participated in AfSC Assembly in Windhock, 2025

A discussion meeting was held during the International Symposium on Earthquake Forecasting to Commemorate the 50^th Anniversary of the 1975 Haicheng M7.3 Earthquake (Shenyang, 2025). Key participants included Profs. Li Ying, Li Li, Wu Zhongliang, Michelle Grabelaar, Mohamed ElGabry, and Walter Mooney. The experts provided critical feedback on the feasibility report for establishing the commission and dedicated significant effort to refining its name. The original tentative name "Preparatory Commission on the International and Interdisciplinary field Investigation of significant Earthquakes" (PrepComm I³E) was revised to "Rapid Interdisciplinary Investigation of Significant Earthquakes" (RI²sE). 

During the International Symposium on Haicheng M7.3 earthquake, Wang Kun, the Administrator of CEA and Michelle Grobbelaar, President of IASPEI, discussed about the matters related to the establishment of the commission.

Fig.5 Administrator of CEA Wang Kun talked with President of IASPEI Michelle Grobbelaar during International Symposium on Haicheng M7.3 Earthquake

At the joint IAGA-IASPEI meeting held in Portugal in September 2025, Prof. Li Ying put forward a proposal to the IASPEI Executive Committee recommending the establishment of the IASPEi Commission on the Rapid Interdisciplinary Investigation of Significant Earthquakes (RI²sE) as a platform to integrate expertise from earthquake and engineering seismology, geodesy, geology, geo-electromagnetics, geochemistry, hydrology, and social sciences. The establishment of RI²sE was approved by resolution at the closing of the IASPEI Assembly.

CEA has experience in organizing large-scale international scientific investigations and conferences. It has established foreign affairs management mechanisms. CEA experts participate in international activities. CEA integrates experts in seismology, geology, and engineering. Through these efforts, CEA has compiled and published A Guidebook to Earthquake Scientific Investigation to standardize field investigation procedures, and Scientific Investigation of Continental Earthquakes and Relevant Studies, to present multi-disciplinary approaches in investigations for Maduo and Luxian earthquakes and provide state-of-the-art and AI-enhanced techniques in earthquake prediction and risk assessment. 

Fig.6 CEA publications about earthquake scientific investigation