diff --git a/docs/appendix/yaml.rst b/docs/appendix/yaml.rst
index 5f1f3030..5dc2996f 100644
--- a/docs/appendix/yaml.rst
+++ b/docs/appendix/yaml.rst
@@ -351,6 +351,8 @@ for csi plot, list of model names (only) user choose to set as labels.
 
 **score_name:** csi plot only. list of scores user can choose to plot. examples are "Critical Success Index' 'False Alarm Rate' 'Hit Rate'.
 
+**threshold_tick_style:** csi plot only. (optional) control for spacing of threshold (x-axis) ticks. example: use ``unique`` when a unique xtick for each threshold value is desired. Any other selection (default = None) will choose xticks that are equally spaced between min(threshold_list):max(threshold_list).  
+
 **data:** This a list of model / observation pairs to be plotted where the 
 observation label is first and the model label is second 
 (e.g., ['airnow_cmaq_expt', 'airnow_rrfs_13km', 'airnow_wrfchem_v4.2'])
diff --git a/melodies_monet/driver.py b/melodies_monet/driver.py
index 5773ff52..543b470f 100644
--- a/melodies_monet/driver.py
+++ b/melodies_monet/driver.py
@@ -1502,7 +1502,7 @@ def plotting(self):
                 threshold_list = grp_dict['threshold_list']
                 score_name = grp_dict['score_name']
                 model_name_list = grp_dict['model_name_list']
-                xtick_style = grp_dict.get('xtick_style',None)
+                threshold_tick_style = grp_dict.get('threshold_tick_style',None)
 
             # first get the observational obs labels
             pair1 = self.paired[list(self.paired.keys())[0]]
@@ -2394,7 +2394,7 @@ def plotting(self):
                                                 domain_type=domain_type,
                                                 domain_name=domain_name,
                                                 model_name_list=model_name_list,
-                                                xtick_style=xtick_style)
+                                                threshold_tick_style=threshold_tick_style)
                                 #save figure
                                 plt.tight_layout()
                                 savefig(outname +'.'+score_name+'.png', loc=1, logo_height=100) 
diff --git a/melodies_monet/plots/surfplots.py b/melodies_monet/plots/surfplots.py
index 2dcb6c34..11110697 100755
--- a/melodies_monet/plots/surfplots.py
+++ b/melodies_monet/plots/surfplots.py
@@ -1534,7 +1534,7 @@ def Calc_Score(score_name_input,threshold_input, model_input, obs_input):
    
     return output_score
 
-def Plot_CSI(score_name_input,threshold_list_input, comb_bx_input,plot_dict,fig_dict,text_dict,domain_type,domain_name,model_name_list,xtick_style):
+def Plot_CSI(score_name_input,threshold_list_input, comb_bx_input,plot_dict,fig_dict,text_dict,domain_type,domain_name,model_name_list,threshold_tick_style):
 
     CSI_output = []  #(2, threshold len)
     threshold_list = threshold_list_input
@@ -1566,7 +1566,7 @@ def Plot_CSI(score_name_input,threshold_list_input, comb_bx_input,plot_dict,fig_
 
     #Make Plot
     for i in range(len(CSI_output)):
-        if xtick_style == 'equal':
+        if threshold_tick_style == 'unique':
            plt.plot(range(len(threshold_list)),CSI_output[i],'-*',label=model_name_list[i])
         else:
            plt.plot(threshold_list,CSI_output[i],'-*',label=model_name_list[i])
@@ -1578,7 +1578,7 @@ def Plot_CSI(score_name_input,threshold_list_input, comb_bx_input,plot_dict,fig_
         plt.grid()
      
     #add '>' to xticks
-    if xtick_style == 'equal':
+    if threshold_tick_style == 'unique':
        threshold_string_array = [str(x) for x in threshold_list]
        labels = ['>'+item for item in threshold_string_array]
        ax.set_xticks(range(len(threshold_list)),labels=labels)