diff --git a/src/tools/core/mode/combine_boolplanes.cc b/src/tools/core/mode/combine_boolplanes.cc
index 111964c94..608cdff40 100644
--- a/src/tools/core/mode/combine_boolplanes.cc
+++ b/src/tools/core/mode/combine_boolplanes.cc
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ using namespace std;
 //
 
 void combine_boolplanes(const string &name,
+                        int rIndex, int tIndex,
                         const BoolPlane * bpa, const int n_planes, 
                         BoolCalc & calc, 
                         BoolPlane & bp_out)
@@ -57,7 +58,7 @@ void combine_boolplanes(const string &name,
 
    }   //  for x
 
-   mlog << Debug(1) << name << " has " << nTrue << " superobject points.\n";
+   mlog << Debug(1) << name << " has " << nTrue << " superobject points.  rIndex[" << rIndex << "] tIndex[" << tIndex << "]\n";
 
    //
    //  done
diff --git a/src/tools/core/mode/combine_boolplanes.h b/src/tools/core/mode/combine_boolplanes.h
index 2a7c16862..987b1a8c4 100644
--- a/src/tools/core/mode/combine_boolplanes.h
+++ b/src/tools/core/mode/combine_boolplanes.h
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@
 
 
 extern void combine_boolplanes(const std::string &name,
+                               int rIndex, int tIndex,
                                const BoolPlane * array, const int n_planes, 
                                BoolCalc & calc, 
                                BoolPlane & bp_out);
diff --git a/src/tools/core/mode/mode_exec.cc b/src/tools/core/mode/mode_exec.cc
index f399ebf12..467773968 100644
--- a/src/tools/core/mode/mode_exec.cc
+++ b/src/tools/core/mode/mode_exec.cc
@@ -913,7 +913,7 @@ void ModeExecutive::do_conv_thresh_multivar_simple(Processing_t p, int rIndex, i
    } else {
       what = "forecast field";
    }      
-   mlog << Debug(2) << "Identifying objects in the " << what << "...\n";
+   mlog << Debug(2) << "Identifying objects in the " << what << " for " << stype(p) << "\n";
 
    if (p == MULTIVAR_SIMPLE_MERGE) {
       conf.set_conv_radius_by_index(R_index);   // need this because exec was killed after SIMPLE
@@ -1176,8 +1176,7 @@ void ModeExecutive::process_obs_masks(ShapeData & obs_sd)
    ShapeData grid_mask_sd, poly_mask_sd;
    ConcatString name;
 
-   mlog << Debug(2)
-        << "Processing masking regions.\n";
+   mlog << Debug(3) << "Processing masking regions.\n";
 
    // Parse the grid mask into a ShapeData object
    if(engine.conf_info.mask_grid_flag != FieldType::None) {
diff --git a/src/tools/core/mode/mode_superobject.cc b/src/tools/core/mode/mode_superobject.cc
index e7191e816..cd7a63fe9 100644
--- a/src/tools/core/mode/mode_superobject.cc
+++ b/src/tools/core/mode/mode_superobject.cc
@@ -114,10 +114,13 @@ ModeSuperObject::ModeSuperObject()
 }
 
 ModeSuperObject::ModeSuperObject(bool isFcst, int n_files, bool do_clusters,
+                                 int r_index, int t_index,
                                  const vector<MultiVarData *> &mvd,
                                  BoolCalc &calc)
 {
    _hasUnion = calc.has_union();
+   _rIndex = r_index;
+   _tIndex = t_index;
    
    //
    //  set the BoolPlane values using the mvd content
@@ -150,8 +153,10 @@ ModeSuperObject::ModeSuperObject(bool isFcst, int n_files, bool do_clusters,
       simple_name = "Obs_Simple";
       merge_name = "Obs_Merge";
    }      
-   combine_boolplanes(simple_name, simple_plane, n_files, calc, _simple_result);
-   combine_boolplanes(merge_name,  merge_plane, n_files, calc, merge_result);
+
+   mlog << Debug(1) << "\n";
+   combine_boolplanes(simple_name, _rIndex, _tIndex, simple_plane, n_files, calc, _simple_result);
+   combine_boolplanes(merge_name,  _rIndex, _tIndex, merge_plane, n_files, calc, merge_result);
 
    // create ShapeData objects using something from mvd as a template
    // (shape data has 1's or bad)
diff --git a/src/tools/core/mode/mode_superobject.h b/src/tools/core/mode/mode_superobject.h
index fa96857a0..aa0b6a17e 100644
--- a/src/tools/core/mode/mode_superobject.h
+++ b/src/tools/core/mode/mode_superobject.h
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ class ModeSuperObject {
    ModeSuperObject();
 
    ModeSuperObject(bool isFcst, int n_files, bool do_clusters,
+                   int r_index, int t_index,
                    const std::vector<MultiVarData *> &mvd,
                    BoolCalc &calc);
    inline ~ModeSuperObject() {}
@@ -42,6 +43,7 @@ class ModeSuperObject {
 
    bool _isFcst;
    bool _hasUnion;
+   int _rIndex, _tIndex;
    BoolPlane _simple_result;
    ShapeData _simple_sd;
    ShapeData _merge_sd_split;
diff --git a/src/tools/core/mode/multivar_frontend.cc b/src/tools/core/mode/multivar_frontend.cc
index 43f13a95d..3b803af2e 100644
--- a/src/tools/core/mode/multivar_frontend.cc
+++ b/src/tools/core/mode/multivar_frontend.cc
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ int MultivarFrontEnd::run(const StringArray & Argv)
 
    _init(Argv);
 
-   mlog << Debug(2) << "\n" << sep << "\n";
+   mlog << Debug(1) << "\n" << sep << "\n";
 
    // in the conf object, shift *can* be set independently for obs and fcst
    int shift = config.shift_right;
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ int MultivarFrontEnd::run(const StringArray & Argv)
       }
    }
    
-   mlog << Debug(2) << "\n finished with multivar intensity comparisons \n" << sep << "\n";
+   mlog << Debug(1) << "\n finished with multivar intensity comparisons \n" << sep << "\n";
 
    // clear out memory stored in the simple objects
    
@@ -509,7 +509,7 @@ void MultivarFrontEnd::_read_input(const string &name, int index, ModeDataType t
 
 void MultivarFrontEnd::_create_verif_grid()
 {
-   mlog << Debug(2) << "\n creating the verification grid \n" << sep << "\n";
+   mlog << Debug(1) << "\n creating the verification grid \n" << sep << "\n";
 
    _init_exec(ModeExecutive::TRADITIONAL, "None", "None");
    mode_exec->setup_verification_grid(fcstInput[0], obsInput[0], config);
@@ -527,9 +527,9 @@ void MultivarFrontEnd::_create_simple_objects(ModeDataType dtype, const std::str
 {
    O.init(dtype, rIndex, tIndex);
    for (int j=0; j<n_files; ++j)  {
-      mlog << Debug(2) 
+      mlog << Debug(1) 
            << "\n" << sep << "\ncreating simple " << name << " objects from " << name << " "
-           << (j + 1) << " of " << n_files << "\nconv_radius[" << rIndex+1 << "] conv_thresh["
+           << (j + 1) << " of " << n_files << " conv_radius[" << rIndex+1 << "] conv_thresh["
            << tIndex+1 << "]\n" << sep << "\n";
       MultiVarData *mvdi = _create_simple_multivar_data(dtype, rIndex, tIndex, j, n_files, 
                                                         filenames[j], input[j]);
@@ -614,7 +614,11 @@ MultivarFrontEnd::_create_intensity_comparisons(SimpleObjects &fcsts, int findex
    fcsts._super.mask_data_simple("Fcst", *mvdf);
    obs._super.mask_data_simple("Obs", *mvdo);
 
-   mlog << Debug(1) << "Running mvmode intensity comparisions \n\n";
+   // this debug statement assumes fcsts and obs have same conv radius and thresh indices
+   // which is currently required
+   mlog << Debug(1) << "\n" << sep
+        << "\nRunning mvmode intensity comparisions conv_radius[" << fcsts._rIndex+1
+        << "] conv_thresh[" << fcsts._tIndex+1 << "]\n" << sep << "\n";
 
    _init_exec(ModeExecutive::MULTIVAR_INTENSITY, fcst_filename, obs_filename);
    mode_exec->init_multivar_intensities(config);
@@ -678,7 +682,9 @@ MultivarFrontEnd::_intensity_compare_mode_algorithm(int rIndexF, int tIndexF,
 
 void MultivarFrontEnd::_process_superobjects(SimpleObjects &fcsts, SimpleObjects &obs)
 {
-   mlog << Debug(1) << "Running superobject mode \n\n";
+   mlog << Debug(1) << "\n" << sep
+        << "\nRunning mvmode superobject analysis conv_radius[" << fcsts._rIndex+1
+        << "] conv_thresh[" << fcsts._tIndex+1 << "]\n" << sep << "\n";
 
    MultiVarData *mvdf = fcsts._mvd[0];
    MultiVarData *mvdo = obs._mvd[0];
@@ -739,7 +745,7 @@ void MultivarFrontEnd::_init_exec(ModeExecutive::Processing_t p,
                                   const string &ffile,
                                   const string &ofile) const
 {
-   mlog << Debug(1) << "Running multivar front end for " << ModeExecutive::stype(p) << "\n";
+   mlog << Debug(4) << "Running multivar front end for " << ModeExecutive::stype(p) << "\n";
 
    if ( mode_exec )  { delete mode_exec;  mode_exec = 0; }
 
diff --git a/src/tools/core/mode/simple_objects.cc b/src/tools/core/mode/simple_objects.cc
index b5a7a39ac..b85cbaaed 100644
--- a/src/tools/core/mode/simple_objects.cc
+++ b/src/tools/core/mode/simple_objects.cc
@@ -42,7 +42,8 @@ void SimpleObjects::init(ModeDataType dataType, int rIndex, int tIndex)
 void SimpleObjects::setSuper(bool isFcst, int n_fcst_files, bool do_clusters,
                              BoolCalc &f_calc)
 {
-   _super = ModeSuperObject(isFcst, n_fcst_files, do_clusters, _mvd, f_calc);
+   _super = ModeSuperObject(isFcst, n_fcst_files, do_clusters,
+                            _rIndex, _tIndex, _mvd, f_calc);
 }
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////