diff --git a/.github/scripts/run_build.sh b/.github/scripts/run_build.sh
index 9da46e565..fac5f1ce5 100755
--- a/.github/scripts/run_build.sh
+++ b/.github/scripts/run_build.sh
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ if [ "${HIP}" == "true" ]; then
   echo
   echo "enabling HIP"
   echo
-  hip=(--with-hip HIPCC=g++ HIP_FLAGS="-O2 -g -std=c++17" HIP_PLATFORM=cpu HIP_INC=./external_libs/ROCm-HIP-CPU/include HIP_LIBS="-ltbb -lpthread -lstdc++")
+  hip=(--with-hip HIPCC=g++ HIP_FLAGS="-O2 -g -std=c++17" HIP_PLATFORM=cpu HIP_INC=./external_libs/ROCm-HIP-CPU/include HIP_LIBS="-ltbb -lpthread -lstdc++ -lmpi_cxx")
 else
   hip=()
 fi
diff --git a/.github/scripts/run_install.sh b/.github/scripts/run_install.sh
index 60e12b99f..e0bb0a9d2 100755
--- a/.github/scripts/run_install.sh
+++ b/.github/scripts/run_install.sh
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ if [ "${EMC_MODEL}" == "true" ]; then
   echo
   echo "current dir: `pwd`"
   cd DATA/IRIS_EMC/
-  wget --tries=3 https://ds.iris.edu/files/products/emc/emc-files/Alaska.JointInversion-RF+Vph+HV-1.Berg.2020-nc4.nc
+  wget --quiet --tries=3 https://ds.iris.edu/files/products/emc/emc-files/Alaska.JointInversion-RF+Vph+HV-1.Berg.2020-nc4.nc
   # checks exit code
   if [[ $? -ne 0 ]]; then exit 1; fi
   ln -s Alaska.JointInversion-RF+Vph+HV-1.Berg.2020-nc4.nc model.nc
diff --git a/.github/scripts/run_tests.sh b/.github/scripts/run_tests.sh
index ed53be74d..8f742cfa3 100755
--- a/.github/scripts/run_tests.sh
+++ b/.github/scripts/run_tests.sh
@@ -44,16 +44,16 @@ my_kernel_test(){
   RHO=`grep -E 'maximum value of rho[[:space:]]+kernel' $file_ref | cut -d = -f 2 | tr -d ' '`
   KAPPA=`grep -E 'maximum value of kappa[[:space:]]+kernel' $file_ref | cut -d = -f 2 | tr -d ' '`
   MU=`grep -E 'maximum value of mu[[:space:]]+kernel' $file_ref | cut -d = -f 2 | tr -d ' '`
-  KAPPAV=`grep -E 'maximum value of kappav[[:space:]]+kernel' $file_ref | cut -d = -f 2 | tr -d ' '`
-  MUV=`grep -E 'maximum value of muv[[:space:]]+kernel' $file_ref | cut -d = -f 2 | tr -d ' '`
+  ALPHAV=`grep -E 'maximum value of alphav[[:space:]]+kernel' $file_ref | cut -d = -f 2 | tr -d ' '`
+  BETAV=`grep -E 'maximum value of betav[[:space:]]+kernel' $file_ref | cut -d = -f 2 | tr -d ' '`
 
   # need at least rho & kappa (for acoustic kernels)
   if [ "$RHO" == "" ]; then
-    echo "  missing reference kernel values: RHO=$RHO | KAPPA=$KAPPA KAPPAV=$KAPPAV | MU=$MU MUV=$MUV"
+    echo "  missing reference kernel values: RHO=$RHO | KAPPA=$KAPPA MU=$MU | ALPHAV=$ALPHAV BETAV=$BETAV"
     echo
     exit 1
   else
-    echo "  reference kernel values: RHO=$RHO | KAPPA=$KAPPA KAPPAV=$KAPPAV | MU=$MU MUV=$MUV"
+    echo "  reference kernel values: RHO=$RHO | KAPPA=$KAPPA MU=$MU | ALPHAV=$ALPHAV BETAV=$BETAV"
   fi
   # compares with test output - using a relative tolerance of 0.001 (1 promille) with respect to expected value
   # final test result
@@ -72,13 +72,6 @@ my_kernel_test(){
     echo "" | awk '{diff=ex-val;diff_abs=(diff >= 0)? diff:-diff;diff_rel=diff_abs/ex;print "  value: expected = "ex" gotten = "val" - difference absolute = "diff_abs" relative = "diff_rel; if (diff_rel>0.001){print "  failed"; exit 1;}else{print "  good"; exit 0;} }' ex=$KAPPA val=$VAL
     if [[ $? -ne 0 ]]; then PASSED=1; fi
   fi
-  # checks kappav kernel value (if anisotropic kernels)
-  if [ "$KAPPAV" != "" ]; then
-    VAL=`grep -E 'maximum value of kappav[[:space:]]+kernel' $file_out | cut -d = -f 2 | tr -d ' '`
-    echo "kernel kappav: $VAL"
-    echo "" | awk '{diff=ex-val;diff_abs=(diff >= 0)? diff:-diff;diff_rel=diff_abs/ex;print "  value: expected = "ex" gotten = "val" - difference absolute = "diff_abs" relative = "diff_rel; if (diff_rel>0.001){print "  failed"; exit 1;}else{print "  good"; exit 0;} }' ex=$KAPPAV val=$VAL
-    if [[ $? -ne 0 ]]; then PASSED=1; fi
-  fi
   # checks mu kernel value
   if [ "$MU" != "" ]; then
     VAL=`grep -E 'maximum value of mu[[:space:]]+kernel' $file_out | cut -d = -f 2 | tr -d ' '`
@@ -86,11 +79,18 @@ my_kernel_test(){
     echo "" | awk '{diff=ex-val;diff_abs=(diff >= 0)? diff:-diff;diff_rel=diff_abs/ex;print "  value: expected = "ex" gotten = "val" - difference absolute = "diff_abs" relative = "diff_rel; if (diff_rel>0.001){print "  failed"; exit 1;}else{print "  good"; exit 0;} }' ex=$MU val=$VAL
     if [[ $? -ne 0 ]]; then PASSED=1; fi
   fi
-  # checks muv kernel value (if anisotropic kernels)
-  if [ "$MUV" != "" ]; then
-    VAL=`grep -E 'maximum value of muv[[:space:]]+kernel' $file_out | cut -d = -f 2 | tr -d ' '`
-    echo "kernel muv   : $VAL"
-    echo "" | awk '{diff=ex-val;diff_abs=(diff >= 0)? diff:-diff;diff_rel=diff_abs/ex;print "  value: expected = "ex" gotten = "val" - difference absolute = "diff_abs" relative = "diff_rel; if (diff_rel>0.001){print "  failed"; exit 1;}else{print "  good"; exit 0;} }' ex=$MUV val=$VAL
+  # checks alphav kernel value (if anisotropic kernels)
+  if [ "$ALPHAV" != "" ]; then
+    VAL=`grep -E 'maximum value of alphav[[:space:]]+kernel' $file_out | cut -d = -f 2 | tr -d ' '`
+    echo "kernel alphav: $VAL"
+    echo "" | awk '{diff=ex-val;diff_abs=(diff >= 0)? diff:-diff;diff_rel=diff_abs/ex;print "  value: expected = "ex" gotten = "val" - difference absolute = "diff_abs" relative = "diff_rel; if (diff_rel>0.001){print "  failed"; exit 1;}else{print "  good"; exit 0;} }' ex=$ALPHAV val=$VAL
+    if [[ $? -ne 0 ]]; then PASSED=1; fi
+  fi
+  # checks betav kernel value (if anisotropic kernels)
+  if [ "$BETAV" != "" ]; then
+    VAL=`grep -E 'maximum value of betav[[:space:]]+kernel' $file_out | cut -d = -f 2 | tr -d ' '`
+    echo "kernel betav : $VAL"
+    echo "" | awk '{diff=ex-val;diff_abs=(diff >= 0)? diff:-diff;diff_rel=diff_abs/ex;print "  value: expected = "ex" gotten = "val" - difference absolute = "diff_abs" relative = "diff_rel; if (diff_rel>0.001){print "  failed"; exit 1;}else{print "  good"; exit 0;} }' ex=$BETAV val=$VAL
     if [[ $? -ne 0 ]]; then PASSED=1; fi
   fi
   # overall pass
diff --git a/.github/workflows/CI.yml b/.github/workflows/CI.yml
index 1786944d7..442639fa0 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/CI.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/CI.yml
@@ -638,6 +638,8 @@ jobs:
 
     steps:
     - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      with:
+        submodules: true      # needs submodule content in folder external_libs/ROCm-HIP-CPU/
 
     - name: Install packages
       env: