NS-TAST-GD-013 Annex 1 Reference Paper - Analysis of Seismic Hazards for Nuclear Sites - Expert Panel Paper GEN-SH-EP-2016-1

Aug 30, 2026

Analysis of Seismic Hazards for Nuclear Sites provides an expert panel reference for performing seismic hazard assessments relevant to nuclear facilities. The document covers key hazard types including earthquakes, surface rupture, ground shaking, liquefaction, landslides and slope instability, and tsunamis, together with methods for managing uncertainties. It details seismic data resources, capable faulting evaluation, and PSHA input modeling, then addresses PSHA calculations and site response analyses. It also specifies outputs such as hazard curves, spectra, disaggregation, and time histories, and includes guidance for induced seismicity, terminology, and references.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryPaper Templates

FormatDOCX

Pages45

Reading Time16 min

AccessFree to download

List of Abbreviations

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Seismic hazards and their assessment

Earthquakes and Seismic Hazard

Surface rupture

Ground shaking

Liquefaction

Landslides and slope instability

Tsunamis

management of uncertainties

Classification of uncertainties

Characterisation of epistemic uncertainties

Logic trees

databases for seismic hazard assessments

Data compilation and data collection

Previous seismic hazard studies

Geological data

Instrumental earthquake catalogues

Historical earthquake catalogues

Ground-motion recordings

Ground-motion prediction equations

Dynamic site characteristics

Capable Faulting

Evaluation of capable fault hazard

Methodology

input models for psha

Homogenised earthquake catalogue

Seismic source model and recurrence relationships

Reference horizon for hazard calculations

Ground-motion prediction model

Logic trees for PSHA inputs

PSHA Calculations and Site Response Analyses

Selection and qualification of PSHA software

Limits on integrations in PSHA

Quality Assurance on hazard calculations

Site response analyses

Incorporating site response into hazard estimates

Long-period ground motions

Outputs from a Site-specific PSHA

Seismic hazard curves: means and fractiles

Uniform hazard response spectra

Disaggregation

Acceleration time-histories

Hazard Assessment for Induced Seismicity

Causes of induced and triggered seismicity

Adapting PSHA for induced earthquakes

references

ONR Expert Panel on Natural Hazards NS-TAST-GD-013 Annex 1 Reference Paper: Analysis of Seismic Hazards for Nuclear Sites Expert Panel Paper No: GEN-SH-EP-2016-1 Sub-Panel on Seismic Hazards October 2018 For more information contact: Office for Nuclear Regulation Building 4, Redgrave Court Merton Road Bootle L20 7HS Email: HYPERLINK "mailto:contact@onr.gov.uk" contact@onr.gov.uk TABLE OF CONTENTS TOC \h \z \t "TS Heading Numbered 1,1,TS Heading Numbered 1.1,2" HYPERLINK \l "_Toc522022882" LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS PAGEREF _Toc522022882 \h 3 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc522022883" Acknowledgements PAGEREF _Toc522022883 \h 4 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc522022884" 1 INTRODUCTION PAGEREF _Toc522022884 \h 5 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc522022885" 2 Seismic hazards and their assessment PAGEREF _Toc522022885 \h 6 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc522022886" 2.1 Earthquakes and Seismic Hazard PAGEREF _Toc522022886 \h 6 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc522022887" 2.2 Surface rupture PAGEREF _Toc522022887 \h 8 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc522022888" 2.3 Ground shaking PAGEREF _Toc522022888 \h 8 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc522022889" 2.4 Liquefaction PAGEREF _Toc522022889 \h 9 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc522022890" 2.5 Landslides and slope instability PAGEREF _Toc522022890 \h 10 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc522022891" 2.6 Tsunamis PAGEREF _Toc522022891 \h 10 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc522022892" 3 management of uncertainties PAGEREF _Toc522022892 \h 11 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc522022893" 3.1 Classification of uncertainties PAGEREF _Toc522022893 \h 11 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc522022894" 3.2 Characterisation of epistemic uncertainties PAGEREF _Toc522022894 \h 11 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc522022895" 3.3 Logic trees PAGEREF _Toc522022895 \h 12 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc522022896" 4 databases for seismic hazard assessments PAGEREF _Toc522022896 \h 15 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc522022897" 4.1 Data compilation and data collection PAGEREF _Toc522022897 \h 15 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc522022898" 4.2 Previous seismic hazard studies PAGEREF _Toc522022898 \h 16 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc522022899" 4.3 Geological data PAGEREF _Toc522022899 \h 16 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc522022900" 4.4 Instrumental earthquake catalogues PAGEREF _Toc522022900 \h 17 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc522022901" 4.5 Historical earthquake catalogues PAGEREF _Toc522022901 \h 17 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc522022902" 4.6 Ground-motion recordings PAGEREF _Toc522022902 \h 18 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc522022903" 4.7 Ground-motion prediction equations PAGEREF _Toc522022903 \h 18 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc522022904" 4.8 Dynamic site characteristics PAGEREF _Toc522022904 \h 18 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc522022905" 5 Capable Faulting PAGEREF _Toc522022905 \h 21 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc522022906" 5.1 Evaluation of capable fault hazard PAGEREF _Toc522022906 \h 21 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc522022907" 5.2 Methodology PAGEREF _Toc522022907 \h 22 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc522022908" 6 input models for psha PAGEREF _Toc522022908 \h 24 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc522022909" 6.1 Homogenised earthquake catalogue PAGEREF _Toc522022909 \h 24 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc522022910" 6.2 Seismic source model and recurrence relationships PAGEREF _Toc522022910 \h 24 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc522022911" 6.3 Reference horizon for hazard calculations PAGEREF _Toc522022911 \h 27 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc522022912" 6.4 Ground-motion prediction model PAGEREF _Toc522022912 \h 27 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc522022913" 6.5 Logic trees for PSHA inputs PAGEREF _Toc522022913 \h 28 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc522022914" 7 PSHA Calculations and Site Response Analyses PAGEREF _Toc522022914 \h 29 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc522022915" 7.1 Selection and qualification of PSHA software PAGEREF _Toc522022915 \h 29 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc522022916" 7.2 Limits on integrations in PSHA PAGEREF _Toc522022916 \h 29 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc522022917" 7.3 Quality Assurance on hazard calculations PAGEREF _Toc522022917 \h 30 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc522022918" 7.4

FAQs

What seismic hazard components are covered for nuclear sites?

The paper addresses earthquakes and seismic hazard, surface rupture, ground shaking, liquefaction, landslides and slope instability, and tsunamis, as part of seismic hazard assessment.

How does the document handle uncertainty in seismic hazard analysis?

It provides a management framework for uncertainties, including classification of uncertainties, characterization of epistemic uncertainties, and the use of logic trees.

What outputs does a site-specific PSHA produce?

Outputs include seismic hazard curves with means and fractiles, uniform hazard response spectra, disaggregation results, and acceleration time-histories.

Aug 30, 2026

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