Index: /issm/trunk/src/m/utils/Antarctica/antzoom.m
===================================================================
--- /issm/trunk/src/m/utils/Antarctica/antzoom.m	(revision 1268)
+++ /issm/trunk/src/m/utils/Antarctica/antzoom.m	(revision 1269)
@@ -101,4 +101,5 @@
 	regions=AddAvailableRegion(regions,'buddcoast',2.1*10^6,2.7*10^6,-1.3*10^6,-.7*10^6);
 	regions=AddAvailableRegion(regions,'byrdglacier',2.5*10^5,4.5*10^5,-10.8*10^5,-9.2*10^5);
+	regions=AddAvailableRegion(regions,'drygalski',3.3738*10^5,5.3155*10^5,-1.6172*10^6,-1.4297*10^6);
 	regions=AddAvailableRegion(regions,'dufekcoast',-1.6*10^5,0*10^5,-6.2*10^5,-5.5*10^5);
 	regions=AddAvailableRegion(regions,'edouardpeninsula',-7.5*10^5,-4*10^5,-1.4*10^6,-1.05*10^6);
Index: /issm/trunk/src/m/utils/Mesh/GetCharacteristicLength.m
===================================================================
--- /issm/trunk/src/m/utils/Mesh/GetCharacteristicLength.m	(revision 1269)
+++ /issm/trunk/src/m/utils/Mesh/GetCharacteristicLength.m	(revision 1269)
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+function length=GetCharacteristicLength(index,x,y,varargin)
+%GETCHARACTERISTICLENGTH - compute characteristic length for a mesh
+%
+%   compute characteristic lengths of every element of a mesh.
+%
+%   Usage:
+%      length  =GetCharacteristicLength(index,x,y);
+%      length  =GetCharacteristicLength(index,x,y,z);
+%
+%   Examples:
+%      length  =GetCharacteristicLength(md.elements,md.x,md.y);
+%      length  =GetCharacteristicLength(md.elements,md.x,md.y,md.z);
+
+
+%get number of elements and number of nodes
+nels=size(index,1);
+nods=numel(x);
+
+%some checks
+if nargout~=1 | (nargin~=3 & nargin~=4),
+	help GetCharacteristicLength
+	error('GetCharacteristicLength error message: bad usage')
+end
+if ((numel(y)~=nods) | (nargin==4 & numel(z)~=nods)),
+	error('GetCharacteristicLength error message: x,y and z do not have the same length')
+end
+if max(index(:))>nods,
+	error(['GetCharacteristicLength error message: index should not have values above ' num2str(nods) ])
+end
+if (nargin==3 & size(index,2)~=3),
+	error('GetCharacteristicLength error message: index should have 3 columns for 2d meshes.')
+end
+if (nargin==4 & size(index,2)~=6),
+	error('GetCharacteristicLength error message: index should have 6 columns for 3d meshes.')
+end
+
+%get areas or volumes.
+areas=GetAreas(index,x,y,varargin{:});
+
+%for a 2d mesh: 
+if nargin==3,
+	length=sqrt(2*areas);
+else
+	error('not supported yet');
+end