diff --git a/components/mpas-ocean/src/Registry.xml b/components/mpas-ocean/src/Registry.xml
index 905343f3e408..3d0372f13f6d 100644
--- a/components/mpas-ocean/src/Registry.xml
+++ b/components/mpas-ocean/src/Registry.xml
@@ -2824,8 +2824,8 @@
 		<var name="pressure" type="real" dimensions="nVertLevels nCells Time" units="N m^-2"
 			 description="pressure used in the momentum equation"
 		/>
-		<var name="modifyLandIcePressureMask" type="integer" dimensions="nCells Time"
-			description="A mask indicating where landIcePressure can be modified during iterative init.  The mask is 1 under (and perhaps near) ice shelves and 0 elsewhere."
+		<var name="sshAdjustmentMask" type="integer" dimensions="nCells Time"
+			description="A mask indicating where ssh or landIcePressure can be modified during iterative init.  The mask is 1 under (and perhaps near) ice shelves and 0 elsewhere."
 			packages="initMode"
 		/>
 		<var name="normalTransportVelocity" type="real" dimensions="nVertLevels nEdges Time" units="m s^-1"
diff --git a/components/mpas-ocean/src/mode_init/mpas_ocn_init_global_ocean.F b/components/mpas-ocean/src/mode_init/mpas_ocn_init_global_ocean.F
index 2476d01aa8f4..1c3f0f9a75b3 100644
--- a/components/mpas-ocean/src/mode_init/mpas_ocn_init_global_ocean.F
+++ b/components/mpas-ocean/src/mode_init/mpas_ocn_init_global_ocean.F
@@ -1021,7 +1021,7 @@ subroutine ocn_init_setup_global_ocean_interpolate_land_ice_topography(domain, i
           landIceFraction(:) = 0.0_RKIND
           landIceDraft(:) = 0.0_RKIND
           landIcePressure(:) = 0.0_RKIND
-          modifyLandIcePressureMask(:) = 0
+          sshAdjustmentMask(:) = 0
           do iCell = 1, nCells
              ! nothing to do here if the cell is land
              if (maxLevelCell(iCell) <= 0) cycle
@@ -1037,7 +1037,7 @@ subroutine ocn_init_setup_global_ocean_interpolate_land_ice_topography(domain, i
              landIceDraft(iCell) = landIceDraftObserved(iCell)
              landIcePressure(iCell) = landIcePressureObserved(iCell)
              if (landIcePressure(iCell) > 0.0_RKIND) then
-                modifyLandIcePressureMask(iCell) = 1
+                sshAdjustmentMask(iCell) = 1
              end if
           end do
 
diff --git a/components/mpas-ocean/src/mode_init/mpas_ocn_init_isomip.F b/components/mpas-ocean/src/mode_init/mpas_ocn_init_isomip.F
index 5299d36abb5f..11874ea35d1f 100644
--- a/components/mpas-ocean/src/mode_init/mpas_ocn_init_isomip.F
+++ b/components/mpas-ocean/src/mode_init/mpas_ocn_init_isomip.F
@@ -274,7 +274,7 @@ subroutine ocn_init_setup_isomip(domain, iErr)!{{{
 
         landIceFraction(:) = 0.0_RKIND
         landIceSurfaceTemperature(:) = -25.0_RKIND !doesn't matter because ice is insulating
-        modifyLandIcePressureMask(:) = 0
+        sshAdjustmentMask(:) = 0
         landIceMask(:) = 0
 
 
@@ -301,7 +301,7 @@ subroutine ocn_init_setup_isomip(domain, iErr)!{{{
           end if
 
           if(ssh(iCell) < 0.0_RKIND) then
-            modifyLandIcePressureMask(iCell) = 1
+            sshAdjustmentMask(iCell) = 1
           end if
 
           if(.not. associated(activeTracers)) then
diff --git a/components/mpas-ocean/src/mode_init/mpas_ocn_init_isomip_plus.F b/components/mpas-ocean/src/mode_init/mpas_ocn_init_isomip_plus.F
index e38d546762f6..78436a13af4b 100644
--- a/components/mpas-ocean/src/mode_init/mpas_ocn_init_isomip_plus.F
+++ b/components/mpas-ocean/src/mode_init/mpas_ocn_init_isomip_plus.F
@@ -529,9 +529,9 @@ subroutine ocn_init_setup_isomip_plus_interpolate_topo(domain, iErr)!{{{
 
           do iCell = 1,nCells
             if(landIceFraction(iCell) > 0.01_RKIND) then
-              modifyLandIcePressureMask(iCell) = 1
+              sshAdjustmentMask(iCell) = 1
             else
-              modifyLandIcePressureMask(iCell) = 0
+              sshAdjustmentMask(iCell) = 0
             end if
           end do
 
@@ -605,7 +605,7 @@ subroutine ocn_init_setup_isomip_plus_interpolate_topo(domain, iErr)!{{{
               ssh(iCell) = 0.0_RKIND
               landIceFraction(iCell) = 0.0_RKIND
               landIceMask(iCell) = 0
-              modifyLandIcePressureMask(iCell) = 0
+              sshAdjustmentMask(iCell) = 0
             end if
           end do !iCell
 
diff --git a/components/mpas-ocean/src/mode_init/mpas_ocn_init_ssh_and_landIcePressure.F b/components/mpas-ocean/src/mode_init/mpas_ocn_init_ssh_and_landIcePressure.F
index c85249635a7d..e48f8982b6dc 100644
--- a/components/mpas-ocean/src/mode_init/mpas_ocn_init_ssh_and_landIcePressure.F
+++ b/components/mpas-ocean/src/mode_init/mpas_ocn_init_ssh_and_landIcePressure.F
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ subroutine ocn_init_ssh_and_landIcePressure_balance(domain, iErr)!{{{
        end if
 
        do iCell = 1, nCells
-         if(modifyLandIcePressureMask(iCell) == 0) then
+         if(sshAdjustmentMask(iCell) == 0) then
            ssh(iCell) = 0.0_RKIND
            landIcePressure(iCell) = 0.0_RKIND
 
diff --git a/components/mpas-ocean/src/mode_init/mpas_ocn_init_sub_ice_shelf_2D.F b/components/mpas-ocean/src/mode_init/mpas_ocn_init_sub_ice_shelf_2D.F
index 6261b49e4b9e..81c84e43e6bf 100644
--- a/components/mpas-ocean/src/mode_init/mpas_ocn_init_sub_ice_shelf_2D.F
+++ b/components/mpas-ocean/src/mode_init/mpas_ocn_init_sub_ice_shelf_2D.F
@@ -223,7 +223,7 @@ subroutine ocn_init_setup_sub_ice_shelf_2D(domain, iErr)!{{{
 
         if(associated(landIceFraction)) &
           landIceFraction(:) = 0.0_RKIND
-        modifyLandIcePressureMask(:) = 0
+        sshAdjustmentMask(:) = 0
         if(associated(landIceMask)) &
           landIceMask(:) = 0
 
@@ -241,7 +241,7 @@ subroutine ocn_init_setup_sub_ice_shelf_2D(domain, iErr)!{{{
            ssh(iCell) = -config_sub_ice_shelf_2D_bottom_depth + totalSubIceThickness
 
            if(ssh(iCell) < 0.0_RKIND) then
-              modifyLandIcePressureMask(iCell) = 1
+              sshAdjustmentMask(iCell) = 1
            end if
         end do
 
diff --git a/components/mpas-ocean/src/shared/mpas_ocn_diagnostics_variables.F b/components/mpas-ocean/src/shared/mpas_ocn_diagnostics_variables.F
index 567c3efc183c..8fed2162ea01 100644
--- a/components/mpas-ocean/src/shared/mpas_ocn_diagnostics_variables.F
+++ b/components/mpas-ocean/src/shared/mpas_ocn_diagnostics_variables.F
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ module ocn_diagnostics_variables
    integer, dimension(:), pointer :: smoothingMask
    real (kind=RKIND), dimension(:,:), pointer :: verticalStretch
 
-   integer, dimension(:), pointer :: modifyLandIcePressureMask
+   integer, dimension(:), pointer :: sshAdjustmentMask
 
    real (kind=RKIND), dimension(:,:), pointer :: velocityMeridional
    real (kind=RKIND), dimension(:,:), pointer :: velocityZonal
@@ -636,8 +636,8 @@ subroutine ocn_diagnostics_variables_init(domain, jenkinsOn, hollandJenkinsOn, e
       call mpas_pool_get_field(diagnosticsPool, 'verticalStretch', &
                 verticalStretchField, 1)
       call mpas_pool_get_array(diagnosticsPool, &
-               'modifyLandIcePressureMask', &
-                modifyLandIcePressureMask)
+               'sshAdjustmentMask', &
+                sshAdjustmentMask)
       call mpas_pool_get_array(diagnosticsPool, 'indMLD', indMLD)
       call mpas_pool_get_array(diagnosticsPool, 'dThreshMLD', dThreshMLD)
       call mpas_pool_get_array(diagnosticsPool, 'surfacePressure', &