The present invention discloses a distribution automation master station system single-phase earth fault location method based on transient state recording data. When single-phase earth fault starting criteria is satisfied, a master station system fault location program is started; a received fault recording file is subjected to analysis according to the recording file data format standard; the signal processing technology is employed to calculate and obtain fault characteristic quantities comprising three-phase current catastrophe characteristics before and after fault points, waveform correlation coefficients between each two three-phase catastrophe current and zero-sequence current intrinsic mode energy behind the fault points; the floating-point type fault characteristic quantities obtained through calculation are converted to integrated group numbers, and a group number with the most obvious characteristic quantity is converted to motion signals of a fault indicator; and the interphase short-circuit fault processing mechanism of the distribution automation master station system is employed to complete single-phase earth fault location. The method provided by the invention is not influenced by the system earth mode and the single-phase earth fault condition so as to allow a location effect to be ideal.