Abstract: Due to the fragile geological environment and strong human engineering activities, catastrophic rock avalanches in the karst mountain areas in southwest China have frequently occurred, causing serious personnel and property losses. This article summarizes the characteristics of rock avalanches and the difficult problems of landslides prevention and mitigation, and proposes the key scientific problems that need to be solved urgently in the current research, including the interaction mechanism between geological structures and karst pipeline flows, the formation mechanism of rock avalanches related to the underground mining, the geomechanical conditions and dynamic processes of rapid and long run-out rock avalanches, and early identification and spatial prediction technology. In response to these problems, this article expounds the following research ideas. Through multidisciplinary integration, we will focus on the research of the development and failure modes of rock avalanches in karst mountain areas, reveal the role of groundwater in karst pipelines-fissures-pores and the effect of rock damage due to underground mining and reservoir water fluctuations. The focus of this study is on the mechanism of rapid and long run-out rock avalanches and risk prediction methods. Early identification, monitoring, early warning, and comprehensive prevention and control technologies for rock avalanches are established. This study may provide support to the urbanization construction and the safe operation of major projects in karst mountainous areas in China.