Academic research
Geomorphology and Paleoseismology of the Weinan Fault, Shaanxi, Central China, and the Source of the 1556 Huaxian Earthquake
Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth
Where this source supports the record
Each entry separates the article’s editorial relevance note from its exact, section-level claims. A bibliography link without a direct claim is labeled plainly.
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Natural disasters · 23 January 1556Open article references →
1556 Huaxian Earthquake
Huaxian earthquake and Weinan fault area · China
Why editors use it herePeer-reviewed fault mapping and paleoseismic analysis testing rupture geometry, slip, magnitude estimates, and the relationship between direct and cascading mortality.
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Quick read
During the night of 23 January 1556, a major earthquake struck the Wei River basin in Ming China, with its most severe effects around Huaxian in Shaanxi.
Reviewed 5 August 2026 -
Trigger and conditions
Strong fault movement along the southeastern Weihe Graben produced violent shaking and surface deformation.
Reviewed 5 August 2026 -
Uncertainty
No instrument measured the earthquake.
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Why it matters
Huaxian is a defining example of how geology, settlement patterns, vulnerable construction, and cascading hunger and disease combine in disaster.
Reviewed 5 August 2026
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Quick read