diff --git a/modules/util/gfs_reader.py b/modules/util/gfs_reader.py
index 2df215ece7f408ae48126cbce92e9da14281dbf8..6878c466759be361a4a1356e8a445d94448dda69 100644
--- a/modules/util/gfs_reader.py
+++ b/modules/util/gfs_reader.py
@@ -443,7 +443,7 @@ def get_voxel_s(xr_dataset, fld_name_s, lon, lat, press, x_width=3, y_width=3, z
     return sub_fld
 
 
-def get_volume(xr_dataset, fld_name, press_range=None, lon_range=None, lat_range=None):
+def get_volume(xr_dataset, fld_name, unit_str, press_range=None, lon_range=None, lat_range=None):
 
     x_lo, x_hi = 0, NX
     y_lo, y_hi = 0, NY
@@ -477,6 +477,6 @@ def get_volume(xr_dataset, fld_name, press_range=None, lon_range=None, lat_range
     sub_nda = nda[y_lo:y_hi, x_lo:x_hi, z_lo:z_hi]
     xra = xr.DataArray(sub_nda, dims=['Latitude', 'Longitude', 'Pressure'],
                        coords={"Latitude": lat_coords[y_lo:y_hi], "Longitude": lon_coords[x_lo:x_hi], "Pressure": plevs[z_lo:z_hi]},
-                       attrs={"description": fld_name, "units": 'm s-1'})
+                       attrs={"description": fld_name, "units": unit_str})
 
     return xra