diff --git a/src/blocks.F90 b/src/blocks.F90
index 33fafcf..2fb7779 100644
--- a/src/blocks.F90
+++ b/src/blocks.F90
@@ -150,13 +150,11 @@ module blocks
                                  !
     integer(kind=4)             :: refine
 
-                                 ! the position of the block in its siblings
-                                 ! group
+                                 ! the block position in its parent
                                  !
     integer(kind=4)             :: pos(ndims)
 
-                                 ! the coordinate of the lower corner of the
-                                 ! block in the effective resolution units
+                                 ! the block global coordinates at its level
                                  !
     integer(kind=4)             :: coords(ndims)
 
@@ -825,7 +823,7 @@ module blocks
 !
     pmeta%pos(:)    = -1
 
-! initialize the effective coordinates
+! initialize the block coordinates in the current level
 !
     pmeta%coords(:) = 0
 
@@ -1225,7 +1223,7 @@ module blocks
 !
 !===============================================================================
 !
-  subroutine refine_block(pmeta, res, fdata)
+  subroutine refine_block(pmeta, fdata)
 
 ! import external procedures
 !
@@ -1238,7 +1236,6 @@ module blocks
 ! subroutine arguments
 !
     type(block_meta), pointer    , intent(inout) :: pmeta
-    integer(kind=4), dimension(3), intent(in)    :: res
     logical                      , intent(in)    :: fdata
 
 ! pointers
@@ -1446,10 +1443,10 @@ module blocks
 
 ! calculate the block coordinates in effective resolution units
 !
-        ic  = pmeta%coords(1) + i * res(1)
-        jc  = pmeta%coords(2) + j * res(2)
+        ic  = 2 * pmeta%coords(1) + i
+        jc  = 2 * pmeta%coords(2) + j
 #if NDIMS == 3
-        kc  = pmeta%coords(3) + k * res(3)
+        kc  = 2 * pmeta%coords(3) + k
 #endif /* NDIMS == 3 */
 
 ! calculate block bounds
diff --git a/src/domains.F90 b/src/domains.F90
index 4a3d6c4..dbec564 100644
--- a/src/domains.F90
+++ b/src/domains.F90
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ module domains
 
 ! local variables
 !
-    integer :: i, j, k, n, p, il, jl, kl
+    integer :: i, j, k, n, p, ic, jc, kc
     real    :: xl, xmn, xmx, yl, ymn, ymx, zl, zmn, zmx
 
 ! local arrays
@@ -263,7 +263,7 @@ module domains
 
 ! claculate the block position along Z
 !
-      kl  = (k - 1) * res(1,3)
+      kc  = k - 1
 
 ! calculate the Z bounds
 !
@@ -274,7 +274,7 @@ module domains
 
 ! claculate the block position along Y
 !
-        jl  = (j - 1) * res(1,2)
+        jc  = j - 1
 
 ! calculate the Y bounds
 !
@@ -285,7 +285,7 @@ module domains
 
 ! claculate the block position along Y
 !
-          il  = (i - 1) * res(1,1)
+          ic  = i - 1
 
 ! calculate the Z bounds
 !
@@ -306,7 +306,7 @@ module domains
 
 ! set block coordinates
 !
-          call metablock_set_coordinates(pmeta, il, jl, kl)
+          call metablock_set_coordinates(pmeta, ic, jc, kc)
 
 ! set the bounds
 !
diff --git a/src/mesh.F90 b/src/mesh.F90
index 066fca1..3d792e1 100644
--- a/src/mesh.F90
+++ b/src/mesh.F90
@@ -460,7 +460,7 @@ module mesh
     use blocks         , only : append_datablock, remove_datablock
     use blocks         , only : link_blocks, unlink_blocks, refine_block
     use blocks         , only : get_mblocks, get_nleafs
-    use coordinates    , only : minlev, maxlev, res
+    use coordinates    , only : minlev, maxlev
     use domains        , only : setup_domain
     use error          , only : print_error
     use mpitools       , only : master, nproc, nprocs
@@ -651,7 +651,7 @@ module mesh
 
 ! perform the refinement without creating new data blocks
 !
-            call refine_block(pmeta, res(pmeta%level + 1,:), .false.)
+            call refine_block(pmeta, .false.)
 
           end if ! selected for refinement and at the current level
 
@@ -785,7 +785,7 @@ module mesh
     use blocks         , only : get_nleafs
     use blocks         , only : refine_block, derefine_block
     use blocks         , only : append_datablock, remove_datablock, link_blocks
-    use coordinates    , only : minlev, maxlev, toplev, im, jm, km, res
+    use coordinates    , only : minlev, maxlev, toplev, im, jm, km
     use equations      , only : nv
     use error          , only : print_error
 #ifdef MPI
@@ -1317,12 +1317,12 @@ module mesh
 #ifdef MPI
               if (pmeta%process .eq. nproc) then
 #endif /* MPI */
-                call refine_block(pmeta, res(pmeta%level + 1,:), .true.)
+                call refine_block(pmeta, .true.)
                 call prolong_block(pparent)
                 call remove_datablock(pparent%data)
 #ifdef MPI
               else
-                call refine_block(pmeta, res(pmeta%level + 1,:), .false.)
+                call refine_block(pmeta, .false.)
               end if
 #endif /* MPI */
             end if