diff --git a/components/mpas-albany-landice/src/Registry.xml b/components/mpas-albany-landice/src/Registry.xml
index bb2267748073..f716f398f994 100644
--- a/components/mpas-albany-landice/src/Registry.xml
+++ b/components/mpas-albany-landice/src/Registry.xml
@@ -753,7 +753,7 @@
                         <var name="uReconstructX" packages="higherOrderVelocity"/>
 			<var name="uReconstructY" packages="higherOrderVelocity"/>
                         <var name="basalFrictionFlux"/>
-                        <var name="passiveTracer"/>
+                        <var name="passiveTracer2d"/>
 			<var name="damage"/>
 			<var name="calvingVelocityData"/>
 			<var name="basalMeltInput" packages="hydro"/>
@@ -863,7 +863,7 @@
 			<var name="waterPressure" packages="hydro"/>
                         <var name="channelArea" packages="hydro"/>  <!-- this is only needed if running with channels - could be package-controlled -->
 			<var name="waterFluxMask" packages="hydro"/>
-                        <var name="passiveTracer"/>
+                        <var name="passiveTracer2d"/>
 			<var name="damage"/>
 			<var name="calvingVelocityData"/>
 			<var name="damageMax"/>
@@ -1284,7 +1284,7 @@ is the value of that variable from the *previous* time level!
                 <var name="calvingVelocityData" type="real" dimensions="nCells Time" units="m s^{-1}" time_levs="1"
                      description="rate of calving front retreat due to calving, represented as a velocity normal to the calving front (in the x-y plane), given by the input netCDF file."
                 />
-                <var name="passiveTracer" type="real" dimensions="nCells Time" units="none" time_levs="1"
+                <var name="passiveTracer2d" type="real" dimensions="nCells Time" units="none" time_levs="1"
                      description="passive tracer used to verify advection routines"
                 />
                 <var name="damage" type="real" dimensions="nCells Time" units="none" time_levs="1"
diff --git a/components/mpas-albany-landice/src/mode_forward/mpas_li_advection.F b/components/mpas-albany-landice/src/mode_forward/mpas_li_advection.F
index 39b211dc8c5d..f2cd48a70bd7 100644
--- a/components/mpas-albany-landice/src/mode_forward/mpas_li_advection.F
+++ b/components/mpas-albany-landice/src/mode_forward/mpas_li_advection.F
@@ -1149,7 +1149,7 @@ subroutine tracer_setup(&
 
       real (kind=RKIND), dimension(:), pointer :: &
            damage, & ! damage
-           passiveTracer
+           passiveTracer2d
 
       real (kind=RKIND), pointer ::  &
            config_ice_density         ! ice density
@@ -1171,7 +1171,7 @@ subroutine tracer_setup(&
       call mpas_pool_get_array(geometryPool, 'thickness', thickness)
       call mpas_pool_get_array(geometryPool, 'layerThickness', layerThickness)
       call mpas_pool_get_array(geometryPool, 'damage', damage)
-      call mpas_pool_get_array(geometryPool, 'passiveTracer', passiveTracer)
+      call mpas_pool_get_array(geometryPool, 'passiveTracer2d', passiveTracer2d)
 
       ! get arrays from thermal pool
       call mpas_pool_get_array(thermalPool, 'temperature', temperature)
@@ -1262,11 +1262,11 @@ subroutine tracer_setup(&
 
       endif
 
-      ! always advect passiveTracer
+      ! always advect passiveTracer2d
       iTracer = iTracer + 1
-      ! copy 2d passiveTracer to all vertical levels in the tracer array
+      ! copy 2d passiveTracer2d to all vertical levels in the tracer array
       do k = 1, nVertLevels
-         advectedTracers(iTracer,k,:) = passiveTracer(:)
+         advectedTracers(iTracer,k,:) = passiveTracer2d(:)
       enddo
       surfaceTracers(iTracer,:) = 0.0_RKIND
       basalTracers(iTracer,:) = 0.0_RKIND
@@ -1368,7 +1368,7 @@ subroutine tracer_finish(&
 
       real (kind=RKIND), dimension(:), pointer :: &
            damage, & ! damage
-           passiveTracer
+           passiveTracer2d
 
       real (kind=RKIND), dimension(:,:), pointer :: &
            temperature,             & ! interior ice temperature
@@ -1389,7 +1389,7 @@ subroutine tracer_finish(&
       ! get arrays from geometry pool
       call mpas_pool_get_array(geometryPool, 'thickness', thickness)
       call mpas_pool_get_array(geometryPool, 'damage', damage)
-      call mpas_pool_get_array(geometryPool, 'passiveTracer', passiveTracer)
+      call mpas_pool_get_array(geometryPool, 'passiveTracer2d', passiveTracer2d)
 
       ! get arrays from thermal pool
       call mpas_pool_get_array(thermalPool, 'temperature', temperature)
@@ -1440,10 +1440,10 @@ subroutine tracer_finish(&
          enddo
       endif
 
-      ! Always advect passiveTracer
+      ! Always advect passiveTracer2d
       iTracer = iTracer + 1
       do iCell = 1, nCellsSolve
-         passiveTracer(iCell) = sum(advectedTracers(iTracer,:,iCell) * layerThicknessFractions)  ! thickness-weighted average
+         passiveTracer2d(iCell) = sum(advectedTracers(iTracer,:,iCell) * layerThicknessFractions)  ! thickness-weighted average
       enddo
 
       ! Note: Other tracers (e.g., ice age) can be added here as needed.
diff --git a/components/mpas-albany-landice/src/mode_forward/mpas_li_time_integration_fe.F b/components/mpas-albany-landice/src/mode_forward/mpas_li_time_integration_fe.F
index 79c1b73ab7c4..ccce755c4501 100644
--- a/components/mpas-albany-landice/src/mode_forward/mpas_li_time_integration_fe.F
+++ b/components/mpas-albany-landice/src/mode_forward/mpas_li_time_integration_fe.F
@@ -791,7 +791,7 @@ subroutine advection_solver(domain, err)
       call mpas_dmpar_field_halo_exch(domain, 'waterFrac')
       call mpas_dmpar_field_halo_exch(domain, 'enthalpy')
       call mpas_dmpar_field_halo_exch(domain, 'damage')
-      call mpas_dmpar_field_halo_exch(domain, 'passiveTracer')
+      call mpas_dmpar_field_halo_exch(domain, 'passiveTracer2d')
 
       call mpas_timer_stop("halo updates")