Forecasting　quasibrittle　failure　in　geomaterials　is　of　paramount　importance　in　the　physics　of　fractures　but　rarely　succeeds.　To　clarify　the　physics　relating　to　the　failure　predictability　in　a　quasibrittle　regime,　a　combined　AE　(acoustic　emission)-DIC　(digital　image　correlation)　technique　is　used　in　uniaxial　compression　experiments　of　flawed　granite　to　trace　its　damage　conditions　in　real　time.　The　mechanistic　correlations　of　the　AE　rate-process　with　the　internal　FPZ　(fracture　process　zone)　development　are　available.　It　is　shown　that　the　complete　record　of　the　AE　activities　does　not　meet　a　deterministic　scaling　law　(e.g.,　typical　timereversed　Omori　law),　indicating　a　challenge　in　predicting　ultimate　failure　via　AE.　Subsets　of　a　power　law　acceleration　registered　much　earlier　than　ultimate　failure　imply　that　the　procedural　sample-sized　localization　instability　is　predictable　but　still　depends　on　the　FPZ　dynamic　evolutions.　More　importantly,　we　find　that　the　coexistence　of　FPZs　and　the　intermittency　of　crack　growth　are　the　two　main　reasons　for　the　difficulty　of　forecasting　failure　in　flawed　granite.　This　study　sheds　light　on　upcoming　investigations　in　which　the　roles　of　FPZs,　especially　their　spatiotemporal　patterns,　should　be　highlighted.　©　2023　Elsevier　Ltd