diff --git a/modules/util/acspo_validate.py b/modules/util/acspo_validate.py
index 335b3b793cfdaff7c6089b61179de4a7261d1968..eec2638931f76f64d933ee16566fb72dea4ad35f 100644
--- a/modules/util/acspo_validate.py
+++ b/modules/util/acspo_validate.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import xarray as xr
 from util.util import get_grid_values_all
 
 
-def acspo_validate(oper_file, cspp_file, rel_tol=0.01, deg_tol=0.0002, outfile_nc=None):
+def acspo_validate(oper_file, cspp_file, rel_tol=0.005, deg_tol=0.0002, outfile_nc=None):
 
     h5f_oper = h5py.File(oper_file, 'r')
     h5f_cspp = h5py.File(cspp_file, 'r')
@@ -13,49 +13,41 @@ def acspo_validate(oper_file, cspp_file, rel_tol=0.01, deg_tol=0.0002, outfile_n
     lon_cspp = get_grid_values_all(h5f_cspp, 'lon')
     lat_cspp = get_grid_values_all(h5f_cspp, 'lat')
     if np.any(np.isnan(lat_cspp)) or np.any(np.isnan(lon_cspp)):
-        print('Invalid lat')
+        print('Missing CSPP lat or lon')
+        return
     if np.min(lat_cspp) < -90 or np.max(lat_cspp) > 90:
-        print('Invalid lat')
+        print('Invalid CSPP lat')
+        return
     if np.min(lon_cspp) < -180 or np.max(lon_cspp) > 180:
-        print('Invalid lon')
-
-    # ----* Investigate: CSPP and OPER time values don't seem to ever match *-------------------
-    # dtime_cspp = get_grid_values_all(h5f_cspp, 'sst_dtime')[0, ]
-    # ref_time_cspp = get_grid_values_all(h5f_cspp, 'time')[0]
-    print('cspp shape: ', lat_cspp.shape)
+        print('Invalid CSPP lon')
+        return
     cspp_track_len = lat_cspp.shape[0]
     c_idx = lat_cspp.shape[1] // 2
+    print('cspp shape: ', lat_cspp.shape)
 
-    cntr_lon_cspp = lon_cspp[:, c_idx]
     cntr_lat_cspp = lat_cspp[:, c_idx]
-    # cntr_dtime_cspp = dtime_cspp[::16, c_idx]
+
     sst_cspp = get_grid_values_all(h5f_cspp, 'sea_surface_temperature')[0, ]
     l2p_flags_cspp = get_grid_values_all(h5f_cspp, 'l2p_flags')[0, ]
 
     lon_oper = get_grid_values_all(h5f_oper, 'lon')
     lat_oper = get_grid_values_all(h5f_oper, 'lat')
     if np.any(np.isnan(lat_cspp)) or np.any(np.isnan(lon_cspp)):
-        print('Invalid lat')
+        print('Missing OPER lon or lat')
+        return
     if np.min(lat_cspp) < -90 or np.max(lat_cspp) > 90:
-        print('Invalid lat')
+        print('Invalid OPER lat')
+        return
     if np.min(lon_cspp) < -180 or np.max(lon_cspp) > 180:
-        print('Invalid lon')
+        print('Invalid OPER lon')
+        return
 
-    # --* See note above on issue with time *-------------------------------------
-    # dtime_oper = get_grid_values_all(h5f_oper, 'sst_dtime')[0, ]
-    # ref_time_oper = get_grid_values_all(h5f_oper, 'time')[0]
-
-    cntr_lon_oper = lon_oper[:, c_idx]
     cntr_lat_oper = lat_oper[:, c_idx]
-    # cntr_dtime_oper = dtime_oper[::16, c_idx]
     print('oper shape: ', lat_oper.shape)
     oper_track_len = lat_oper.shape[0]
     sst_oper = get_grid_values_all(h5f_oper, 'sea_surface_temperature')[0, ]
     l2p_flags_oper = get_grid_values_all(h5f_oper, 'l2p_flags')[0, ]
 
-    # cntr_time_cspp = cntr_dtime_cspp + ref_time_cspp
-    # cntr_time_oper = cntr_dtime_oper + ref_time_oper
-
     # generate a ndarray of boolean, True: clear or probably clear
     cspp_clear = (l2p_flags_cspp & (1 << 15)) == 0
     oper_clear = (l2p_flags_oper & (1 << 15)) == 0
@@ -64,7 +56,7 @@ def acspo_validate(oper_file, cspp_file, rel_tol=0.01, deg_tol=0.0002, outfile_n
     start_idx_oper, stop_idx_oper = -1, -1
     start_idx_cspp, stop_idx_cspp = -1, -1
 
-    # Average latitude spacing: 0.00652 deg
+    # Average latitude spacing: 0.00652 deg (VIIRS M-band)
 
     for k in range(len(cntr_lat_oper)):
         diff = np.abs(cntr_lat_oper[k] - cntr_lat_cspp)
@@ -76,8 +68,8 @@ def acspo_validate(oper_file, cspp_file, rel_tol=0.01, deg_tol=0.0002, outfile_n
             start_idx_cspp = idx_a[0]
             break
         else:
-            print("weirdness")
-            break
+            print("weirdness: two close points found")
+            return
 
     if start_idx_oper < 0:
         print("no overlap found")
@@ -147,8 +139,6 @@ def acspo_validate(oper_file, cspp_file, rel_tol=0.01, deg_tol=0.0002, outfile_n
     h5f_oper.close()
     h5f_cspp.close()
 
-    return sst_cspp_2d, sst_oper_2d
-
 
 def analyze_plot():
     import h5py