diff --git a/columnphysics/icepack_parameters.F90 b/columnphysics/icepack_parameters.F90
index 795ca9ea0..ca21eeec1 100644
--- a/columnphysics/icepack_parameters.F90
+++ b/columnphysics/icepack_parameters.F90
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ module icepack_parameters
 
       real (kind=dbl_kind), public :: &
          ! (Briegleb JGR 97 11475-11485  July 1992)
-         emissivity = 0.95_dbl_kind ,&! emissivity of snow and ice
+         emissivity = 0.985_dbl_kind,&! emissivity of snow and ice
          albocn     = 0.06_dbl_kind ,&! ocean albedo
          vonkar     = 0.4_dbl_kind  ,&! von Karman constant
          stefan_boltzmann = 567.0e-10_dbl_kind,&!  W/m^2/K^4
diff --git a/configuration/scripts/icepack.settings b/configuration/scripts/icepack.settings
index b1daf38f3..21d8468f5 100755
--- a/configuration/scripts/icepack.settings
+++ b/configuration/scripts/icepack.settings
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ setenv TRBGCS    0         # set to 1 for skeletal layer tracers
                            # (needs TRBGCZ = 0) 
 setenv TRBGCZ    0         # set to 1 for zbgc tracers
                            # (needs TRBGCS = 0 and TRBRI = 1)         
-setenv NBGCLYR   7         # number of zbgc layers
+setenv NBGCLYR   1         # number of zbgc layers
 setenv TRZAERO   0         # number of z aerosol tracers 
                            # (up to max_aero = 6)
 setenv TRALG     0         # number of algal tracers
diff --git a/configuration/scripts/icepack_in b/configuration/scripts/icepack_in
index e36122170..0b8ba3d47 100644
--- a/configuration/scripts/icepack_in
+++ b/configuration/scripts/icepack_in
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@
     natmiter        = 5
     atmiter_conv    = 0.0d0
     ustar_min       = 0.0005
-    emissivity      = 0.95
+    emissivity      = 0.985
     fbot_xfer_type  = 'constant'
     update_ocn_f    = .false.
     l_mpond_fresh   = .false.
diff --git a/doc/source/icepack_index.rst b/doc/source/icepack_index.rst
index 8bb912b67..cc3a98356 100755
--- a/doc/source/icepack_index.rst
+++ b/doc/source/icepack_index.rst
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ either Celsius or Kelvin units).
    "dwavefreq", "widths of wave freqency bins", "1/s"
    "**E**", "", ""                       
    "eice(n)", "energy of melting of ice per unit area (in category n)", "J/m\ :math:`^2`"
-   "emissivity", "emissivity of snow and ice", "0.95"
+   "emissivity", "emissivity of snow and ice", "0.985"
    "eps13", "a small number", "10\ :math:`^{-13}`"
    "eps16", "a small number", "10\ :math:`^{-16}`"
    "esno(n)", "energy of melting of snow per unit area (in category n)", "J/m\ :math:`^2`"
diff --git a/doc/source/science_guide/sg_thermo.rst b/doc/source/science_guide/sg_thermo.rst
index fdffa7ac6..ad942f320 100755
--- a/doc/source/science_guide/sg_thermo.rst
+++ b/doc/source/science_guide/sg_thermo.rst
@@ -806,7 +806,7 @@ While incoming shortwave and longwave radiation are obtained from the
 atmosphere, outgoing longwave radiation and the turbulent heat fluxes
 are derived quantities. Outgoing longwave takes the standard blackbody
 form, :math:`F_{L\uparrow}=\epsilon\sigma
-\left(T_{sf}^{K}\right)^4`, where :math:`\epsilon=0.95` is the
+\left(T_{sf}^{K}\right)^4`, where :math:`\epsilon=0.985` is the
 emissivity of snow or ice, :math:`\sigma` is the Stefan-Boltzmann
 constant and :math:`T_{sf}^{K}` is the surface temperature in
 Kelvin. (The longwave fluxes are partitioned such that
diff --git a/doc/source/user_guide/ug_case_settings.rst b/doc/source/user_guide/ug_case_settings.rst
index 525e8dfb3..76b54d9d1 100755
--- a/doc/source/user_guide/ug_case_settings.rst
+++ b/doc/source/user_guide/ug_case_settings.rst
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ can be modified as needed.
    "TRZS", "0,1", "zsalinity tracer, needs TRBRI=1", "0"
    "TRBGCS", "0,1", "skeletal layer tracer, needs TRBGCZ=0", "0"
    "TRBGCZ", "0,1", "zbgc tracers, needs TRBGCS=0 and TRBRI=1", "0"
-   "NBGCLYR", "integer", "number of zbgc layers", "7"
+   "NBGCLYR", "integer", "number of zbgc layers", "1"
    "TRZAERO", "0-6", "number of z aerosol tracers", "0"
    "TRALG", "0,1,2,3", "number of algal tracers", "0"
    "TRDOC", "0,1,2,3", "number of dissolved organic carbon", "0"
@@ -307,7 +307,7 @@ forcing_nml
    "``data_dir``", "string", "path to forcing data directory", "' '"
    "``default_season``", "``summer``", "forcing initial summer values", "``winter``"
    "", "``winter``", "forcing initial winter values", ""
-   "``emissivity``", "real", "emissivity of snow and ice", "0.95"
+   "``emissivity``", "real", "emissivity of snow and ice", "0.985"
    "``fbot_xfer_type``", "``Cdn_ocn``", "variabler ocean heat transfer coefficient scheme", "``constant``"
    "", "``constant``", "constant ocean heat transfer coefficient", ""
    "``formdrag``", "logical", "calculate form drag", "``.false.``"