Index: /issm/trunk-jpl/src/m/classes/calvingtest.m
===================================================================
--- /issm/trunk-jpl/src/m/classes/calvingtest.m	(revision 27020)
+++ /issm/trunk-jpl/src/m/classes/calvingtest.m	(revision 27021)
@@ -35,9 +35,9 @@
 			%Early return
 			if (~strcmp(solution,'TransientSolution') | md.transient.ismovingfront==0), return; end
-			md = checkfield(md,'fieldname','calving.speedfactor','NaN',1,'Inf',1, 'singletimeseries', 1);
+			md = checkfield(md,'fieldname','calving.speedfactor','>=',0,'NaN',1,'Inf',1, 'singletimeseries', 1);
 		end % }}}
 		function disp(self) % {{{
 			disp(sprintf('   Calving test parameters:'));
-			fielddisplay(self,'speedfactor','calving rate is proportional to the ice velocity.');
+			fielddisplay(self,'speedfactor','calving rate is proportional to the ice velocity (e.g. speedfactor=1 -> calving front should not move)');
 		end % }}}
 		function marshall(self,prefix,md,fid) % {{{
Index: /issm/trunk-jpl/src/m/classes/initialization.m
===================================================================
--- /issm/trunk-jpl/src/m/classes/initialization.m	(revision 27020)
+++ /issm/trunk-jpl/src/m/classes/initialization.m	(revision 27021)
@@ -59,5 +59,5 @@
 				md = checkfield(md,'fieldname','initialization.vy','NaN',1,'Inf',1,'size',[md.mesh.numberofvertices 1]);
 				%Triangle with zero velocity
-				if any(sum(abs(md.initialization.vx(md.mesh.elements)),2)==0 & sum(abs(md.initialization.vy(md.mesh.elements)),2)==0)
+				if any(sum(abs(md.initialization.vx(md.mesh.elements)),2)==0 & sum(abs(md.initialization.vy(md.mesh.elements)),2)==0 & min(md.mask.ice_levelset(md.mesh.elements),[],2)<0)
 					md = checkmessage(md,'at least one triangle has all its vertices with a zero velocity');
 				end