diff --git a/Tests/plot_snapshot.py b/Tests/plot_snapshot.py
index 6229ed176d408318ff0e2da0f6bf09afce585bd0..8b54f64af825ce5ed403bdcf10df6cdaa7f493ab 100755
--- a/Tests/plot_snapshot.py
+++ b/Tests/plot_snapshot.py
@@ -4,9 +4,9 @@
 
 Red for anti-cyclones, blue for cyclones. Squares for a well-defined
 outermost contour but with insufficient amplitude. Crosses for an
-outermost contour of sufficient amplitude but with no associated
+outermost contour of sufficient amplitude but with no distinct
 max-speed contour. Filled circles for an outermost contour of
-sufficient amplitude with an associated max-speed contour.
+sufficient amplitude with a distinct max-speed contour.
 
 """
 
diff --git a/derived_types.f b/derived_types.f
index 073deec2d454499be5a7c2359335e0f55e88f901..0a13596a93ae99b32fd1a938de47d908243e1f6b 100644
--- a/derived_types.f
+++ b/derived_types.f
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ contains
 
     null_ssh_contour%polyline = null_polyline()
     null_ssh_contour%ssh = missing_ssh
-    null_ssh_contour%area = 0.
+    null_ssh_contour%area = - 1.
 
   end function null_ssh_contour
 
diff --git a/get_snapshot.f b/get_snapshot.f
index 032775bbaeeb59a6d5a235ce395a1ddcd6919e8b..93886e988523607ac27032c9b3f260ae9f1be876 100644
--- a/get_snapshot.f
+++ b/get_snapshot.f
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ contains
                   step)
           else
              s%list_vis(i)%speed_cont = null_ssh_contour()
-             s%list_vis(i)%max_speed = 0.
+             s%list_vis(i)%max_speed = 1e4
              s%list_vis(i)%radius4 = 0
           end if
        end do