Abstract: (Yb0.03Sc0.97− x Y x )2O3 (x =0.10, 0.39, and 0.485) transparent ceramics were prepared by solid-state reaction and sintered in H2 atmosphere. The X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy was used to probe the local structure around Yb. The results show that the trivalent Yb ions are positioned at sites in cubic lattice with octahedral coordination. The local structure around Yb in our samples is quite different from that in the pure Yb2O3, and also different when Y2O3 content increases. The incorporation of Y2O3 leaded to more drastic distortion in Yb-cation network than that in the first shell Yb–O. The fitting parameters show that the coordination number, bond length and degree of structural disorder in the first shell Yb–O increase with the growing Y2O3 content. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]