There are many precursors, including the abnormality of infrared radiation (IRR), for rock fracturing and failure. As the comprehensive effect of rock thermoelasticity and rock friction, the study of the IRR abnormality of loaded rock, as one of the important issues of remote sensing rock mechanics (RSRM), is facilitated by the fast development of IR remote sensing imaging technology. In view of energy input and consumption by the loading system, comprised of loader., rock and air, the mechanism of surface IRR from loaded rock is studied. The concepts that surface IRR is the comprehensive effect of a series of physical-mechanical processes inside loaded rock and that the thermoelastic effect and the frictional-thermal effect are two of the main mechanisms are presented here. Based on retrospective investigation of the fundamental experiments on RSRM during the past decade, it is concluded that there are two kinds of IRR abnormality as precursors of rock fracturing and failure: IRR image abnormality and IRR temperature curve abnormality. The spatial-temp oral evolution of abnormal surface IRR images of loaded rock in a condition of uniaxial stress, compressive shear, biaxial stress, frictional slide and impact is systematically analyzed. The fact that large IRR can occur ill the fracturing center of compressively loaded and shearing fractured strong and brittle rock is also revealed. Finally, the relation between rock stress and IRR temperature are studied based on thermomechanical coupling theory for solid materials. It is concluded that IRR image abnormalities are important precursors for rock fracturing and meaningful for the forecast of rockbursts and tectonic earthquakes. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.