Editorial: Mechanical response and failure mechanism of rock under dynamic disturbance and water

With the rapid advancement of deep underground engineering-such as mineral resource extraction (coal, non-ferrous metals) and tunnel construction-rock masses are increasingly subjected to the coupled effects of mining disturbances (e.g., blasting, excavation-induced vibration) and water erosion (groundwater seepage, wetting-drying cycles). This complex geological environment has intensified engineering challenges, including rockburst, collapse, and surrounding rock instability, highlighting an urgent need for in-depth research on the mechanical response and failure mechanisms of water-bearing rocks under dynamic loads.Against this backdrop, this Research Topic focuses on the core scientific questions of water-rock coupling or the response of mining disturbance, aiming to integrate cutting-edge experimental, theoretical, and numerical methods to address key gaps in current research.This Research Topic has assembled 10 rigorously peer-reviewed contributions that comprehensively cover the breadth and depth of scholarly exploration in this field. The collected works span pivotal themes, including the coupled effects of wet-dry cycling and dynamic loads on rock mechanical behavior, stability analysis of roadways under groundwater seepage, hazard evaluation under varying water/mining disturbance, microcrack evolution driven by water or dynamic loads. In these research scenarios, a variety of advanced numerical calculation methods (e.g., FEM, DEM, FLAC, etc.), theoretical models, and experimental technologies have been widely applied and developed to solve corresponding rock engineering problems, extensively reflecting the integration of multiple disciplines and methodological innovations. This special issue comprehensively collects significant advances in the fields of water-rock interaction and rock dynamic response, focusing on showcasing innovative ideas, methods, and key findings in addressing practical engineering challenges and fundamental scientific issues. As the complexity and urgency of underground engineering continue to grow, the efforts and contributions of all authors in this special issue will further advance future innovations in geotechnical and mining engineering.