GEOS-DEV / GEOS-DEV/GEOS

Surface normal inconsistency along the fault plane

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#4,035 4 comments 0 reactions 4 assignees View on GitHub

@jafranc is already working on this.

Since Apr 22, 2026.

EPIC - FF/Import Theme - FF type: bug type: new
Dominant language
C++
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4d 41m
Merged PRs (30d)
5

Description

Describe the bug
For field scale simulations, direction of surface normal could vary from place to place with MPI runs (opposite sign for outward and inward normal), see below:

Image Image Image

If the sign convention of surface normal is not consistent along fault plane, the computed normal traction on fault elements would vary significantly (localized change from tension to compression) and challenge the contact solver.

Expected behavior
The direction of the surface normal must remain consistent over the entire fault plane.

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