March 1, 138 Earthquake: Gansu Province, China
A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck Gansu Province, China on March 1, 138.
Map
Where it struck, with the other significant earthquakes within 200 km. Circles are sized and colored by magnitude; select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Date
- March 1, 138
- Place
- Gansu Province, China
- Magnitude
- 6.8 (Ms)
- Intensity
- 9 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 35.800° N, 103.500° E
- Country
- China
The toll
- Deaths
- Many (about 101 to 1,000)
- Damage
- Severe (about $5 to $25 million)
- Houses destroyed
- Many (101 to 1,000)
Where the literature gives no number, NCEI records a description on a scale of 1 to 4, printed here in its words. Damage is in millions of US dollars of the year of the event, not adjusted for inflation.
What the record says
NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.
March 1, 138, NW of Lintao, Gansu Province, 35.8 N, 103.5 E, magnitude 6.75, intensity IX.
Earth quaked in Jincheng and Longxi Prefectures.
Most city walls and dwellings were demolished.
An avalanche of rocks swept down the mountain
slopes, the ground sank; and many people were
killed. The earthquake also struck Luoyeng.
Note: At that time, the seat of local government of
Jincheng Prefecture was located at the present day
Yunwu (E of the present-day Minhe County
of Qinghai Province, on the south bank of
the Huangshui River) and that of Longxi Prefecture at the present-day Lintac County.
(above from reference #3939)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- December 16, 1920, Gansu Province, Shanxi Province, China
- June 19, 1718, Gansu Province, China
- September 2, 1765, Wushan, Gangu, Gansu Province, China
- October 26, 1440, Yongdeng, Gansu Province, China
- December 18, 2023, Jishishan, Gansu Province, China
- February 24, 1819, Qinghai Province, China
- July 21, 2013, Dingxi, Min, Gansu, China
- September 10, 1837, Gansu Province, China
- July 21, 1995, Gansu, Yongdeng, Baiyin, Dingxi, Jingtai, China
- October 20, 1990, Tianzhu, Gansu Province, China
- November 13, 2003, Jone, Lintan, Minxian, Gansu Province, China
- August 30, 1125, Gansu Province, China
- February 7, 1936, Gansu Province, China
- February 193 BC, Lintao, Gansu Province, China
- July 7, 1590, Gansu Province, China
More
Significant earthquakes of 138The 100sRecent earthquakes near hereThis day in weather history
Sources
Significant earthquakes from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Hazard Database, cited as NCEI/WDS, doi:10.7289/V5PN93H7. Public domain. Read 2026-09-24. NCEI earthquake 66.