diff --git a/src/core/MOM.F90 b/src/core/MOM.F90
index 3348cc1212..0de9b793b0 100644
--- a/src/core/MOM.F90
+++ b/src/core/MOM.F90
@@ -983,6 +983,7 @@ subroutine step_MOM_dynamics(forces, p_surf_begin, p_surf_end, dt, dt_thermo, &
                p_surf_begin, p_surf_end, CS%uh, CS%vh, CS%uhtr, CS%vhtr, &
                CS%eta_av_bc, G, GV, US, CS%dyn_unsplit_RK2_CSp, CS%VarMix, CS%MEKE)
     else
+      ! GMM do nothing
       call step_MOM_dyn_unsplit(u, v, h, CS%tv, CS%visc, Time_local, dt, forces, &
                p_surf_begin, p_surf_end, CS%uh, CS%vh, CS%uhtr, CS%vhtr, &
                CS%eta_av_bc, G, GV, US, CS%dyn_unsplit_CSp, CS%VarMix, CS%MEKE, Waves=Waves)
@@ -1087,8 +1088,9 @@ subroutine step_MOM_tracer_dyn(CS, G, GV, US, h, Time_local)
   call cpu_clock_begin(id_clock_thermo) ; call cpu_clock_begin(id_clock_tracer)
   call enable_averages(CS%t_dyn_rel_adv, Time_local, CS%diag)
 
-  call advect_tracer(h, CS%uhtr, CS%vhtr, CS%OBC, CS%t_dyn_rel_adv, G, GV, US, &
-                     CS%tracer_adv_CSp, CS%tracer_Reg)
+  ! GMM, turn off advection
+!  call advect_tracer(h, CS%uhtr, CS%vhtr, CS%OBC, CS%t_dyn_rel_adv, G, GV, US, &
+!                     CS%tracer_adv_CSp, CS%tracer_Reg)
   call tracer_hordiff(h, CS%t_dyn_rel_adv, CS%MEKE, CS%VarMix, G, GV, US, &
                       CS%tracer_diff_CSp, CS%tracer_Reg, CS%tv)
   if (showCallTree) call callTree_waypoint("finished tracer advection/diffusion (step_MOM)")
diff --git a/src/core/MOM_dynamics_unsplit.F90 b/src/core/MOM_dynamics_unsplit.F90
index ed7c440010..ccf9425492 100644
--- a/src/core/MOM_dynamics_unsplit.F90
+++ b/src/core/MOM_dynamics_unsplit.F90
@@ -308,8 +308,9 @@ subroutine step_MOM_dyn_unsplit(u, v, h, tv, visc, Time_local, dt, forces, &
   if (dyn_p_surf) then ; do j=js-2,je+2 ; do i=is-2,ie+2
     p_surf(i,j) = 0.75*p_surf_begin(i,j) + 0.25*p_surf_end(i,j)
   enddo ; enddo ; endif
-  call PressureForce(h_av, tv, CS%PFu, CS%PFv, G, GV, US, &
-                     CS%PressureForce_CSp, CS%ALE_CSp, p_surf)
+! GMM, turn off pressure force
+!  call PressureForce(h_av, tv, CS%PFu, CS%PFv, G, GV, US, &
+!                     CS%PressureForce_CSp, CS%ALE_CSp, p_surf)
   call cpu_clock_end(id_clock_pres)
 
   if (associated(CS%OBC)) then; if (CS%OBC%update_OBC) then
@@ -377,8 +378,9 @@ subroutine step_MOM_dyn_unsplit(u, v, h, tv, visc, Time_local, dt, forces, &
   if (dyn_p_surf) then ; do j=js-2,je+2 ; do i=is-2,ie+2
     p_surf(i,j) = 0.25*p_surf_begin(i,j) + 0.75*p_surf_end(i,j)
   enddo ; enddo ; endif
-  call PressureForce(h_av, tv, CS%PFu, CS%PFv, G, GV, US, &
-                     CS%PressureForce_CSp, CS%ALE_CSp, p_surf)
+! GMM, turn off pressure force
+!  call PressureForce(h_av, tv, CS%PFu, CS%PFv, G, GV, US, &
+!                     CS%PressureForce_CSp, CS%ALE_CSp, p_surf)
   call cpu_clock_end(id_clock_pres)
 
   if (associated(CS%OBC)) then; if (CS%OBC%update_OBC) then
@@ -456,8 +458,9 @@ subroutine step_MOM_dyn_unsplit(u, v, h, tv, visc, Time_local, dt, forces, &
 
 ! PFu = d/dx M(h_av,T,S)
   call cpu_clock_begin(id_clock_pres)
-  call PressureForce(h_av, tv, CS%PFu, CS%PFv, G, GV, US, &
-                     CS%PressureForce_CSp, CS%ALE_CSp, p_surf)
+! GMM, turn off pressure force
+!  call PressureForce(h_av, tv, CS%PFu, CS%PFv, G, GV, US, &
+!                     CS%PressureForce_CSp, CS%ALE_CSp, p_surf)
   call cpu_clock_end(id_clock_pres)
 
   if (associated(CS%OBC)) then; if (CS%OBC%update_OBC) then
diff --git a/src/tracer/MOM_lateral_boundary_diffusion.F90 b/src/tracer/MOM_lateral_boundary_diffusion.F90
index adbe6b8b98..9479e32a79 100644
--- a/src/tracer/MOM_lateral_boundary_diffusion.F90
+++ b/src/tracer/MOM_lateral_boundary_diffusion.F90
@@ -152,6 +152,7 @@ subroutine lateral_boundary_diffusion(G, GV, US, h, Coef_x, Coef_y, dt, Reg, CS)
 
   Idt = 1./dt
   hbl(:,:) = 100.
+  hbl(4:6,:) = 50.
   if (ASSOCIATED(CS%KPP_CSp)) call KPP_get_BLD(CS%KPP_CSp, hbl, G)
   if (ASSOCIATED(CS%energetic_PBL_CSp)) call energetic_PBL_get_MLD(CS%energetic_PBL_CSp, hbl, G, US)
 
diff --git a/src/tracer/MOM_neutral_diffusion.F90 b/src/tracer/MOM_neutral_diffusion.F90
index e2061a689b..004c3ea8bc 100644
--- a/src/tracer/MOM_neutral_diffusion.F90
+++ b/src/tracer/MOM_neutral_diffusion.F90
@@ -294,6 +294,7 @@ subroutine neutral_diffusion_calc_coeffs(G, GV, US, h, T, S, CS)
   ! check if hbl needs to be extracted
   if (CS%interior_only) then
     hbl(:,:) = 100.
+    hbl(4:6,:) = 50.
     if (ASSOCIATED(CS%KPP_CSp)) call KPP_get_BLD(CS%KPP_CSp, hbl, G)
     if (ASSOCIATED(CS%energetic_PBL_CSp)) call energetic_PBL_get_MLD(CS%energetic_PBL_CSp, hbl, G, US)
     call pass_var(hbl,G%Domain)
diff --git a/src/tracer/tracer_example.F90 b/src/tracer/tracer_example.F90
index c5e8f669c6..e316614419 100644
--- a/src/tracer/tracer_example.F90
+++ b/src/tracer/tracer_example.F90
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ module USER_tracer_example
 public USER_register_tracer_example, USER_initialize_tracer, USER_tracer_stock
 public tracer_column_physics, USER_tracer_surface_state, USER_tracer_example_end
 
-integer, parameter :: NTR = 1 !< The number of tracers in this module.
+integer, parameter :: NTR = 2 !< The number of tracers in this module.
 
 !> The control structure for the USER_tracer_example module
 type, public :: USER_tracer_example_CS ; private