An Overview of the SIGMA Research Project

Abstract

In recent years, attempts have been made to identify and quantify uncertainties in seismic hazard estimations for regions with moderate seismicity. These studies have highlighted the lack of representative data, thereby resulting in predictions of seis- mic ground motion with large uncertainties. These uncertainties, for which no esti- mation standards exist, create major difficulties and can lead to different interpretations and divergent opinions among experts. There is a wide consensus among the scientific and technical community for the need to improve knowledge so as to better characterize and, ideally, reduce the uncertainties entering in the cal- culation of seismic ground motion hazard. To address this situation, in January 2011, an industrial consortium composed of the French electric power utility (EDF), the French company AREVA, the Italian electricity company ENEL (Ente Nazionale per l’Energia eLettrica), and the French Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) launched an international research and devel- opment program. This program, named SIGMA (SeIsmic Ground Motion Assessment, http://www.projet-sigma.com), lasted for 5 years and involved a large number of international institutions.