Index: /issm/branches/trunk-larour-NatGeoScience2016/src/m/classes/mask.m
===================================================================
--- /issm/branches/trunk-larour-NatGeoScience2016/src/m/classes/mask.m	(revision 22156)
+++ /issm/branches/trunk-larour-NatGeoScience2016/src/m/classes/mask.m	(revision 22157)
@@ -56,4 +56,5 @@
 		end % }}}
 		function marshall(self,prefix,md,fid) % {{{
+			WriteData(fid,prefix,'name','md.mask.type','data',class(md.mask),'format','String');
 			WriteData(fid,prefix,'object',self,'fieldname','groundedice_levelset','format','DoubleMat','mattype',1,'timeserieslength',md.mesh.numberofvertices+1,'yts',md.constants.yts);
 			WriteData(fid,prefix,'object',self,'fieldname','ice_levelset','format','DoubleMat','mattype',1);
Index: /issm/branches/trunk-larour-NatGeoScience2016/src/m/classes/maskpsl.m
===================================================================
--- /issm/branches/trunk-larour-NatGeoScience2016/src/m/classes/maskpsl.m	(revision 22156)
+++ /issm/branches/trunk-larour-NatGeoScience2016/src/m/classes/maskpsl.m	(revision 22157)
@@ -68,4 +68,5 @@
 		end % }}}
 		function marshall(self,prefix,md,fid) % {{{
+			WriteData(fid,prefix,'name','md.mask.type','data',class(md.mask),'format','String');
 			WriteData(fid,prefix,'object',self,'class','mask','fieldname','groundedice_levelset','format','DoubleMat','mattype',1);
 			WriteData(fid,prefix,'object',self,'class','mask','fieldname','ice_levelset','format','DoubleMat','mattype',1);
Index: /issm/branches/trunk-larour-NatGeoScience2016/src/m/classes/sealevelmodel.m
===================================================================
--- /issm/branches/trunk-larour-NatGeoScience2016/src/m/classes/sealevelmodel.m	(revision 22156)
+++ /issm/branches/trunk-larour-NatGeoScience2016/src/m/classes/sealevelmodel.m	(revision 22157)
@@ -66,6 +66,11 @@
 			end
 
-
-
+			%make sure steric_rate is the same everywhere: 
+			for i=1:length(slm.icecaps),
+				md= slm.icecaps{i}; 
+				if ~isempty(find(md.slr.steric_rate - slm.earth.slr.steric_rate(slm.earth.slr.transitions{i}))),
+					error(sprintf('steric rate on ice cap %s is not the same as for the earth\n',md.miscellaneous.name));
+				end
+			end
 
 		end