Index: /issm/trunk-jpl/src/m/classes/rifts.m
===================================================================
--- /issm/trunk-jpl/src/m/classes/rifts.m	(revision 13715)
+++ /issm/trunk-jpl/src/m/classes/rifts.m	(revision 13716)
@@ -43,5 +43,5 @@
 			else
 				if ~isnans(obj.riftstruct),
-					md = checkmessage(md,['riftstruct shoud be NaN since numrifts is 0!']);
+					md = checkmessage(md,['riftstruct should be NaN since numrifts is 0!']);
 				end
 			end
Index: /issm/trunk-jpl/src/m/classes/rifts.py
===================================================================
--- /issm/trunk-jpl/src/m/classes/rifts.py	(revision 13715)
+++ /issm/trunk-jpl/src/m/classes/rifts.py	(revision 13716)
@@ -18,6 +18,6 @@
 	def __init__(self):
 		# {{{ Properties
-		self.riftstruct     = float('NaN')
-		self.riftproperties = float('NaN')
+		self.riftstruct     = []
+		self.riftproperties = []
 
 		#set defaults
@@ -56,5 +56,5 @@
 				md = checkfield(md,"rifts.riftstruct[%d]['fill']" % i,'values',[WaterEnum(),AirEnum(),IceEnum(),MelangeEnum()])
 		else:
-			if numpy.any(numpy.logical_not(isnans(self.riftstruct))):
+			if self.riftstruct and numpy.any(numpy.logical_not(isnans(self.riftstruct))):
 				md.checkmessage("riftstruct should be NaN since numrifts is 0!")
 
@@ -71,21 +71,19 @@
 
 		numpairs=0
-		if numrifts:
-			for rift in self.riftstruct:
-				numpairs+=numpy.size(rift['penaltypairs'],axis=0)
+		for rift in self.riftstruct:
+			numpairs+=numpy.size(rift['penaltypairs'],axis=0)
 
 		# 2 for nodes + 2 for elements+ 2 for  normals + 1 for length + 1 for fill + 1 for friction + 1 for fraction + 1 for fractionincrement + 1 for state.
 		data=numpy.zeros((numpairs,12))
-		if numrifts:
-			count=0
-			for rift in self.riftstruct:
-				numpairsforthisrift=numpy.size(rift['penaltypairs'],0)
-				data[count:count+numpairsforthisrift,0:7]=rift['penaltypairs']
-				data[count:count+numpairsforthisrift,7]=rift['fill']
-				data[count:count+numpairsforthisrift,8]=rift['friction']
-				data[count:count+numpairsforthisrift,9]=rift['fraction']
-				data[count:count+numpairsforthisrift,10]=rift['fractionincrement']
-				data[count:count+numpairsforthisrift,11]=rift['state'].reshape(-1)
-				count+=numpairsforthisrift
+		count=0
+		for rift in self.riftstruct:
+			numpairsforthisrift=numpy.size(rift['penaltypairs'],0)
+			data[count:count+numpairsforthisrift,0:7]=rift['penaltypairs']
+			data[count:count+numpairsforthisrift,7]=rift['fill']
+			data[count:count+numpairsforthisrift,8]=rift['friction']
+			data[count:count+numpairsforthisrift,9]=rift['fraction']
+			data[count:count+numpairsforthisrift,10]=rift['fractionincrement']
+			data[count:count+numpairsforthisrift,11]=rift['state'].reshape(-1)
+			count+=numpairsforthisrift
 
 		WriteData(fid,'data',numrifts,'enum',RiftsNumriftsEnum(),'format','Integer')