Index: /issm/trunk-jpl/src/m/classes/qmu/normal_uncertain.m
===================================================================
--- /issm/trunk-jpl/src/m/classes/qmu/normal_uncertain.m	(revision 25043)
+++ /issm/trunk-jpl/src/m/classes/qmu/normal_uncertain.m	(revision 25044)
@@ -29,4 +29,5 @@
 			self.descriptor=getfieldvalue(options,'descriptor');
 			self.mean=getfieldvalue(options,'mean');
+			disp(self.mean)
 			self.stddev=getfieldvalue(options,'stddev');
 
@@ -38,4 +39,6 @@
 				self.nsteps=getfieldvalue(options,'nsteps',1);
 				npart=qmupart2npart(self.partition);
+				fprintf('nsteps=%d\n',self.nsteps);
+				fprintf('npart=%d\n',npart);
 				if npart~=size(self.mean,1),
 					error(['normal_uncertain constructor: for the scaled variable ' self.descriptor ' the row size of the mean field should be identical to the number of partitions']);
Index: /issm/trunk-jpl/src/m/classes/qmu/normal_uncertain.py
===================================================================
--- /issm/trunk-jpl/src/m/classes/qmu/normal_uncertain.py	(revision 25043)
+++ /issm/trunk-jpl/src/m/classes/qmu/normal_uncertain.py	(revision 25044)
@@ -13,22 +13,22 @@
     NORMAL_UNCERTAIN class definition
 
-        Usage:
-            nuv = normal_uncertain('descriptor',descriptor,'mean',mean,'stddev',stddev,'partition',partition)
-            where nuv is the normal_uncertain object returned by the constructor, mean and stddev are self
-            explanatory.  partition is the partition vector for distributed variables. Can be a partition
-            vector over elements or vertices.
-
-        Example:
-            md.qmu.variables.rheology=normal_uncertain(
-                'descriptor','RheologyBBar',
-                'mean',1,
-                'stddev',.05
-                )
-            md.qmu.variables.rheology=normal_uncertain(
-                'descriptor','scaled_RheologyBBar',
-                'mean',1,
-                'stddev',.05,
-                'partition',vpartition
-                )
+    Usage:
+        nuv = normal_uncertain('descriptor',descriptor,'mean',mean,'stddev',stddev,'partition',partition)
+        where nuv is the normal_uncertain object returned by the constructor, mean and stddev are self
+        explanatory.  partition is the partition vector for distributed variables. Can be a partition
+        vector over elements or vertices.
+
+    Example:
+        md.qmu.variables.rheology=normal_uncertain(
+            'descriptor','RheologyBBar',
+            'mean',1,
+            'stddev',.05
+            )
+        md.qmu.variables.rheology=normal_uncertain(
+            'descriptor','scaled_RheologyBBar',
+            'mean',1,
+            'stddev',.05,
+            'partition',vpartition
+            )
     '''
     def __init__(self):
Index: /issm/trunk-jpl/src/m/qmu/preqmu.py
===================================================================
--- /issm/trunk-jpl/src/m/qmu/preqmu.py	(revision 25043)
+++ /issm/trunk-jpl/src/m/qmu/preqmu.py	(revision 25044)
@@ -127,5 +127,5 @@
                     variablepartitions.append(fieldvariable[j].partition)
                     variablepartitions_npart.append(qmupart2npart(fieldvariable[j].partition))
-                    variablepartitions_nt.append(fieldvariable.nsteps)
+                    variablepartitions_nt.append(fieldvariable[j].nsteps)
                 else:
                     variablepartitions.append([])
Index: /issm/trunk-jpl/test/NightlyRun/test218.m
===================================================================
--- /issm/trunk-jpl/test/NightlyRun/test218.m	(revision 25043)
+++ /issm/trunk-jpl/test/NightlyRun/test218.m	(revision 25044)
@@ -84,5 +84,5 @@
 
 %imperative! 
-md.stressbalance.reltol=10^-10; %tighten for qmu analysese
+md.stressbalance.reltol=10^-10; %tighten for qmu analyses
 md.qmu.isdakota=1;
 
Index: /issm/trunk-jpl/test/NightlyRun/test218.py
===================================================================
--- /issm/trunk-jpl/test/NightlyRun/test218.py	(revision 25043)
+++ /issm/trunk-jpl/test/NightlyRun/test218.py	(revision 25044)
@@ -85,6 +85,6 @@
 md.qmu.variables.rheology_B = normal_uncertain.normal_uncertain(
 	'descriptor', 'scaled_MaterialsRheologyB',
-	'mean', np.ones(md.mesh.numberofvertices),
-	'stddev', .05 * np.ones(md.mesh.numberofvertices),
+	'mean', np.ones((npart, 1)),
+	'stddev', .05 * np.ones((npart, 1)),
 	'partition', partition
 	)
@@ -110,5 +110,5 @@
 
 #imperative!
-md.stressbalance.reltol = 10**-10  #tighten for qmu analysis
+md.stressbalance.reltol = 10**-10  #tighten for qmu analyses
 md.qmu.isdakota = 1
 
Index: /issm/trunk-jpl/test/NightlyRun/test235.py
===================================================================
--- /issm/trunk-jpl/test/NightlyRun/test235.py	(revision 25043)
+++ /issm/trunk-jpl/test/NightlyRun/test235.py	(revision 25044)
@@ -44,6 +44,6 @@
 md.qmu.variables.surface_mass_balance = normal_uncertain.normal_uncertain(
     'descriptor', 'scaled_SmbMassBalance',
-    'mean', np.ones(npart),
-    'stddev', 100 * np.ones(npart),
+    'mean', np.ones((npart, 1)),
+    'stddev', 100 * np.ones((npart, 1)),
     'partition', partition
     )
Index: /issm/trunk-jpl/test/NightlyRun/test244.py
===================================================================
--- /issm/trunk-jpl/test/NightlyRun/test244.py	(revision 25043)
+++ /issm/trunk-jpl/test/NightlyRun/test244.py	(revision 25044)
@@ -74,6 +74,6 @@
 md.qmu.variables.surface_mass_balance = normal_uncertain.normal_uncertain(
     'descriptor', 'scaled_SmbC',
-    'mean', np.ones(md.mesh.numberofelements),
-    'stddev', .5 * np.ones(md.mesh.numberofelements),
+    'mean', np.ones((npart, 1)),
+    'stddev', .5 * np.ones((npart, 1)),
     'partition', partition
     )
Index: /issm/trunk-jpl/test/NightlyRun/test250.py
===================================================================
--- /issm/trunk-jpl/test/NightlyRun/test250.py	(revision 25043)
+++ /issm/trunk-jpl/test/NightlyRun/test250.py	(revision 25044)
@@ -42,6 +42,6 @@
 md.qmu.variables.surface_mass_balance = normal_uncertain.normal_uncertain(
     'descriptor', 'scaled_SmbMassBalance',
-    'mean', np.ones(md.mesh.numberofvertices),
-    'stddev', .1 * np.ones(md.mesh.numberofvertices),
+    'mean', np.ones((npart, 1)),
+    'stddev', .1 * np.ones((npart, 1)),
     'partition', partition
     )
Index: /issm/trunk-jpl/test/NightlyRun/test251.py
===================================================================
--- /issm/trunk-jpl/test/NightlyRun/test251.py	(revision 25043)
+++ /issm/trunk-jpl/test/NightlyRun/test251.py	(revision 25044)
@@ -43,6 +43,6 @@
 md.qmu.variables.surface_mass_balance = normal_uncertain.normal_uncertain(
     'descriptor', 'scaled_SmbMassBalance',
-    'mean', np.ones(md.mesh.numberofvertices),
-    'stddev', 100 * np.ones(md.mesh.numberofvertices),
+    'mean', np.ones((npart, 1)),
+    'stddev', 100 * np.ones((npart, 1)),
     'partition', partition
     )
Index: /issm/trunk-jpl/test/NightlyRun/test412.py
===================================================================
--- /issm/trunk-jpl/test/NightlyRun/test412.py	(revision 25043)
+++ /issm/trunk-jpl/test/NightlyRun/test412.py	(revision 25044)
@@ -37,6 +37,6 @@
 md.qmu.variables.drag_coefficient = normal_uncertain.normal_uncertain(
     'descriptor', 'scaled_FrictionCoefficient',
-    'mean', np.ones(npart),
-    'stddev', .01 * np.ones(npart),
+    'mean', np.ones((npart, 1)),
+    'stddev', .01 * np.ones((npart, 1)),
     'partition', partition
     )
Index: /issm/trunk-jpl/test/NightlyRun/test413.py
===================================================================
--- /issm/trunk-jpl/test/NightlyRun/test413.py	(revision 25043)
+++ /issm/trunk-jpl/test/NightlyRun/test413.py	(revision 25044)
@@ -34,6 +34,6 @@
 md.qmu.variables.drag_coefficient = normal_uncertain.normal_uncertain(
     'descriptor', 'scaled_FrictionCoefficient',
-    'mean', np.ones(npart),
-    'stddev', .01 * np.ones(npart),
+    'mean', np.ones((npart, 1)),
+    'stddev', .01 * np.ones((npart, 1)),
     'partition', partition
     )
Index: /issm/trunk-jpl/test/NightlyRun/test414.py
===================================================================
--- /issm/trunk-jpl/test/NightlyRun/test414.py	(revision 25043)
+++ /issm/trunk-jpl/test/NightlyRun/test414.py	(revision 25044)
@@ -38,6 +38,6 @@
 md.qmu.variables.drag_coefficient = normal_uncertain.normal_uncertain(
     'descriptor', 'scaled_FrictionCoefficient',
-    'mean', np.ones(npart),
-    'stddev', .01 * np.ones(npart),
+    'mean', np.ones((npart, 1)),
+    'stddev', .01 * np.ones((npart, 1)),
     'partition', partition
     )
Index: /issm/trunk-jpl/test/NightlyRun/test417.py
===================================================================
--- /issm/trunk-jpl/test/NightlyRun/test417.py	(revision 25043)
+++ /issm/trunk-jpl/test/NightlyRun/test417.py	(revision 25044)
@@ -39,6 +39,6 @@
 md.qmu.variables.drag_coefficient = normal_uncertain.normal_uncertain(
     'descriptor', 'scaled_FrictionCoefficient',
-    'mean', np.ones(npart),
-    'stddev', .01 * np.ones(npart),
+    'mean', np.ones((npart, 1)),
+    'stddev', .01 * np.ones((npart, 1)),
     'partition', partition
     )