This presentation summarizes our ongoing hybrid sociological-geological field research into the May 12, 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. In this extreme geo-disaster, mortality was 69,226, with 274,643 injuries, and 17,923 missing. The human toll was accompanied by significant destruction of the natural environment and the economy, estimated at US$ 176 billion. A 300 km long surface rupture occurred in the Longmen Mountains along its margin with the Sichuan Basin.

This disaster was caused by the relationships among (1) towns built in on or in proximity to fault lines, (2) the low earthquake-resistance of residences, schools and hospitals, and other buildings, and (3) the concentration of population distributed along rivers lying below steep-sloped mountains. Mortality and devastation were compounded by post-earthquake landslides. The Chinese central government started a national-level response within 2 hours, upgrading it to the highest national emergency level within 10 hours. Most lives were saved by local people. Military rescue units were activated within minutes of the earthquake, and regional militia, local and provincial units such as the Sichuan Seismological Bureau self-activated immediately. By day-two, 20,000 rescue and engineering soldiers had been deployed. Over 15 large medical treatment, epidemic prevention, and psychological intervention teams responded and more than 10 million volunteers took part in relief activities. In spite of mobilization of the nation's resources, emergency relief was frustrated by formidable obstacles such as cloud cover, a destroyed ground transportation network, loss of communication, and continued geo-hazards in the form of landslide-dammed rivers which threatened large downstream urban centers. Expert national planning for recovery began five days post-earthquake; the plan was promulgated by national law in September, 2008. By the second anniversary of the Wenchuan earthquake, most school and residential construction was completed in earthquake-resistant areas.