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Images of Aral Sea and Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC)
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Aral Sea Evaporation (WMS)
| Title |
Aral Sea Evaporation (WMS) |
| Abstract |
The Aral Sea is actually not a sea at all, but an immense fresh water lake. In the last thirty years, more than sixty percent of the lake has disappeared because much of the river flow feeding the lake was diverted to irrigate cotton fields and rice paddies. Concentrations of salts and minerals began to rise in the shrinking body of water, leading to staggering alterations in the lake's ecology and precipitous drops in the Aral's fish population. Powerful winds that blow across this part of Asia routinely pick up and deposit the now exposed lake bed soil. This has contributed to a significant reduction in breathable air quality, and crop yields have been appreciably affected due to heavily salt laden particles falling on arable land. This series of Landsat images taken in 1973, 1987 and 2000 show the profound reduction in overall area at the north end of the Aral, and a commensurate increase in land area as the floor of the sea now lies exposed. |
| Completed |
2005-02-15 |
|
Aral Sea Evaporation (WMS)
| Title |
Aral Sea Evaporation (WMS) |
| Abstract |
The Aral Sea is actually not a sea at all, but an immense fresh water lake. In the last thirty years, more than sixty percent of the lake has disappeared because much of the river flow feeding the lake was diverted to irrigate cotton fields and rice paddies. Concentrations of salts and minerals began to rise in the shrinking body of water, leading to staggering alterations in the lake's ecology and precipitous drops in the Aral's fish population. Powerful winds that blow across this part of Asia routinely pick up and deposit the now exposed lake bed soil. This has contributed to a significant reduction in breathable air quality, and crop yields have been appreciably affected due to heavily salt laden particles falling on arable land. This series of Landsat images taken in 1973, 1987 and 2000 show the profound reduction in overall area at the north end of the Aral, and a commensurate increase in land area as the floor of the sea now lies exposed. |
| Completed |
2005-02-15 |
|
Aral Sea Evaporation (WMS)
| Title |
Aral Sea Evaporation (WMS) |
| Abstract |
The Aral Sea is actually not a sea at all, but an immense fresh water lake. In the last thirty years, more than sixty percent of the lake has disappeared because much of the river flow feeding the lake was diverted to irrigate cotton fields and rice paddies. Concentrations of salts and minerals began to rise in the shrinking body of water, leading to staggering alterations in the lake's ecology and precipitous drops in the Aral's fish population. Powerful winds that blow across this part of Asia routinely pick up and deposit the now exposed lake bed soil. This has contributed to a significant reduction in breathable air quality, and crop yields have been appreciably affected due to heavily salt laden particles falling on arable land. This series of Landsat images taken in 1973, 1987 and 2000 show the profound reduction in overall area at the north end of the Aral, and a commensurate increase in land area as the floor of the sea now lies exposed. |
| Completed |
2005-02-15 |
|
Aral Sea Evaporation (WMS)
| Title |
Aral Sea Evaporation (WMS) |
| Abstract |
The Aral Sea is actually not a sea at all, but an immense fresh water lake. In the last thirty years, more than sixty percent of the lake has disappeared because much of the river flow feeding the lake was diverted to irrigate cotton fields and rice paddies. Concentrations of salts and minerals began to rise in the shrinking body of water, leading to staggering alterations in the lake's ecology and precipitous drops in the Aral's fish population. Powerful winds that blow across this part of Asia routinely pick up and deposit the now exposed lake bed soil. This has contributed to a significant reduction in breathable air quality, and crop yields have been appreciably affected due to heavily salt laden particles falling on arable land. This series of Landsat images taken in 1973, 1987 and 2000 show the profound reduction in overall area at the north end of the Aral, and a commensurate increase in land area as the floor of the sea now lies exposed. |
| Completed |
2005-02-15 |
|
Dramatic Evaporation of the
…
| Title |
Dramatic Evaporation of the Aral Sea (with dates) |
| Abstract |
Disapearing Water: The Aral Sea Over Time (From 1973 to 2001) A time series is a powerful illustrative tool. Where in the case of Las Vegas we see the direct effects of people on the land, in the case of the Aral Sea, separating the countries of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, we see indirect, but no less dramatic effects on a different part of the world. The Aral Sea is actually not a sea at all. It is an immense lake, a body of fresh water, although that particular description of its contents might now be more a figure of speech than practical fact. In the last thirty years, more than sixty percent of the lake has disappeared. As you'll see in the visualization, the change over time is dramatic. In the 1970s, farmers and state offices opened significant diversions from the rivers supplying water to the lake, sending millions of gallons to irrigate cotton fields and rice paddies. So voluminous were these irrigation sluices that concentrations of salts and minerals began to rise in the shrinking body of water. That change in chemistry has led to staggering alterations in the lake's ecology, causing precipitous drops in the Aral's fish population. A secondary effect of this reduction in the Aral Sea's overall size is the rapid exposure of the lake bed. Powerful winds that blow across this part of Asia routinely pick up and deposit tens of thousands of tons of now exposed soil every year. This has not only contributed to significant reduction in breathable air quality for nearby residents, but also appreciably affected crop yields due to those heavily salt laden particles falling on arable land. In the following sequence of images, we see a series of Landsat scenes taken several years apart. As the years pass, we see the profound reduction in overall area covered by the Aral, and a commensurate increase in land area as the floor of the sea now lies exposed. |
| Completed |
2001-04-19 |
|
Dramatic Evaporation of the
…
| Title |
Dramatic Evaporation of the Aral Sea (with dates) |
| Abstract |
Disapearing Water: The Aral Sea Over Time (From 1973 to 2001) A time series is a powerful illustrative tool. Where in the case of Las Vegas we see the direct effects of people on the land, in the case of the Aral Sea, separating the countries of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, we see indirect, but no less dramatic effects on a different part of the world. The Aral Sea is actually not a sea at all. It is an immense lake, a body of fresh water, although that particular description of its contents might now be more a figure of speech than practical fact. In the last thirty years, more than sixty percent of the lake has disappeared. As you'll see in the visualization, the change over time is dramatic. In the 1970s, farmers and state offices opened significant diversions from the rivers supplying water to the lake, sending millions of gallons to irrigate cotton fields and rice paddies. So voluminous were these irrigation sluices that concentrations of salts and minerals began to rise in the shrinking body of water. That change in chemistry has led to staggering alterations in the lake's ecology, causing precipitous drops in the Aral's fish population. A secondary effect of this reduction in the Aral Sea's overall size is the rapid exposure of the lake bed. Powerful winds that blow across this part of Asia routinely pick up and deposit tens of thousands of tons of now exposed soil every year. This has not only contributed to significant reduction in breathable air quality for nearby residents, but also appreciably affected crop yields due to those heavily salt laden particles falling on arable land. In the following sequence of images, we see a series of Landsat scenes taken several years apart. As the years pass, we see the profound reduction in overall area covered by the Aral, and a commensurate increase in land area as the floor of the sea now lies exposed. |
| Completed |
2001-04-19 |
|
Dramatic Evaporation of the
…
| Title |
Dramatic Evaporation of the Aral Sea (with dates) |
| Abstract |
Disapearing Water: The Aral Sea Over Time (From 1973 to 2001) A time series is a powerful illustrative tool. Where in the case of Las Vegas we see the direct effects of people on the land, in the case of the Aral Sea, separating the countries of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, we see indirect, but no less dramatic effects on a different part of the world. The Aral Sea is actually not a sea at all. It is an immense lake, a body of fresh water, although that particular description of its contents might now be more a figure of speech than practical fact. In the last thirty years, more than sixty percent of the lake has disappeared. As you'll see in the visualization, the change over time is dramatic. In the 1970s, farmers and state offices opened significant diversions from the rivers supplying water to the lake, sending millions of gallons to irrigate cotton fields and rice paddies. So voluminous were these irrigation sluices that concentrations of salts and minerals began to rise in the shrinking body of water. That change in chemistry has led to staggering alterations in the lake's ecology, causing precipitous drops in the Aral's fish population. A secondary effect of this reduction in the Aral Sea's overall size is the rapid exposure of the lake bed. Powerful winds that blow across this part of Asia routinely pick up and deposit tens of thousands of tons of now exposed soil every year. This has not only contributed to significant reduction in breathable air quality for nearby residents, but also appreciably affected crop yields due to those heavily salt laden particles falling on arable land. In the following sequence of images, we see a series of Landsat scenes taken several years apart. As the years pass, we see the profound reduction in overall area covered by the Aral, and a commensurate increase in land area as the floor of the sea now lies exposed. |
| Completed |
2001-04-19 |
|
Dramatic Evaporation of the
…
| Title |
Dramatic Evaporation of the Aral Sea (with dates) |
| Abstract |
Disapearing Water: The Aral Sea Over Time (From 1973 to 2001) A time series is a powerful illustrative tool. Where in the case of Las Vegas we see the direct effects of people on the land, in the case of the Aral Sea, separating the countries of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, we see indirect, but no less dramatic effects on a different part of the world. The Aral Sea is actually not a sea at all. It is an immense lake, a body of fresh water, although that particular description of its contents might now be more a figure of speech than practical fact. In the last thirty years, more than sixty percent of the lake has disappeared. As you'll see in the visualization, the change over time is dramatic. In the 1970s, farmers and state offices opened significant diversions from the rivers supplying water to the lake, sending millions of gallons to irrigate cotton fields and rice paddies. So voluminous were these irrigation sluices that concentrations of salts and minerals began to rise in the shrinking body of water. That change in chemistry has led to staggering alterations in the lake's ecology, causing precipitous drops in the Aral's fish population. A secondary effect of this reduction in the Aral Sea's overall size is the rapid exposure of the lake bed. Powerful winds that blow across this part of Asia routinely pick up and deposit tens of thousands of tons of now exposed soil every year. This has not only contributed to significant reduction in breathable air quality for nearby residents, but also appreciably affected crop yields due to those heavily salt laden particles falling on arable land. In the following sequence of images, we see a series of Landsat scenes taken several years apart. As the years pass, we see the profound reduction in overall area covered by the Aral, and a commensurate increase in land area as the floor of the sea now lies exposed. |
| Completed |
2001-04-19 |
|
Dust over Much of Western As
…
| Title |
Dust over Much of Western Asia |
| Description |
This is a true-color SeaWiFS view of the Middle East and Western Asia showing several dust plumes being blown by stiff winds on March 27, 2002. The most noticeable plumes are at the border between Afghanistan and Turkmenistan border and around what is left of the Aral Sea. The whiter color of the plumes there suggests that they probably contain evaporites from the dried up sea bed. A band of dust or other aerosol is also visible across the southern end of the Caspian Sea in this scene. Image courtesy the SeaWiFS Project, [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/redirect?http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEAWIFS.html ] NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, and ORBIMAGE |
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Dust over the Aral Sea
| Title |
Dust over the Aral Sea |
| Description |
On April 18, 2003, strong southwesterly winds were blowing dust and sand from the deserts of Kazakhstan out over the Aral Sea. The above true-color image of the dust plume was acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument, flying aboard NASA?s Aqua spacecraft. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC. |
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Dust Storm in Central Asia
| Title |
Dust Storm in Central Asia |
| Description |
A massive dust storm blew through central Asia on May 7, 2007. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov ] satellite took this picture the same day, capturing the dust sweeping in a counterclockwise direction east of the Aral Sea. In this image, the dust appears as a pale beige swath immediately south of a large bank of clouds. The dust mimics the movement of the clouds, and both clouds and dust may have resulted from the same weather system. Although a few plumes originate to the west, most of the dust plumes originate along the shores of the South Aral Sea. The dry lake beds surrounding the South Aral Sea provide ample material for dust storms. The sea began retreating [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=4819 ] in the 1960s. Although the North Aral Sea had rebounded [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=17634 ] somewhat by the spring of 2007, thanks to conservation efforts, the southern portion of this massive lake continued to decline. You can download a 250-meter-resolution Central Asia KMZ file [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/Archive/May2007/centralasia_amo_2007127.kmz ] for use with Google Earth. [ http://earth.google.com/download-earth.html ] NASA image created by Jesse Allen, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] team. |
|
Dust Storm over the Aral Sea
| Title |
Dust Storm over the Aral Sea |
| Description |
Straddling the border between Kazakhstan in the north and Uzbekistan in the south, the Aral Sea was once the fourth-largest lake in the world. Soviet-era irrigation diverted water, shrinking the sea to less than half of its 1960 extent. In 2006, a dam built to restore the northern portion of the sea caused a surprisingly rapid [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=17241 ] recovery. Despite this partial recovery, however, the lake remained surrounded by its dried-up lakebed, and this dry lakebed was the likely source of a dust storm over the Aral Sea on June 13, 2006. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] flying onboard NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite took a picture of the dust as it blew over the eastern half of the Aral Sea. In this picture, the dust is very light in color, which is characteristic of lakebed sediments. NASA image courtesy of Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ], NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center. |
|
Dust Storm over the Aral Sea
| Title |
Dust Storm over the Aral Sea |
| Description |
Another dust storm struck the South Aral Sea on September 1, 2006. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] flying onboard NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite took a picture the same day. Although it produced less dramatic dust plumes than the June 13 [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13648 ] storm, this storm covered both the eastern and western portions of the South Aral Sea. Dry lakebed sediments provide ample material for dust storms, and that was probably the case in this storm. Although a dam designed to restore the North Aral Sea showed encouraging progress in 2006, the South Aral Sea remained surrounded by a dried-up lakebed, partially diminished by irrigation projects. NASA image courtesy of Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ], NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center. |
|
Dust Storm over the South Ar
…
| Title |
Dust Storm over the South Aral Sea |
| Description |
A dust storm formed over the South Aral Sea on the border between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan on May 9, 2007. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov ] satellite took this picture the same day. As with a larger storm [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=14249 ] that occurred just two days earlier, this dust storm arose from a few plumes west of the Aral Sea, but primarily from sediments around the Sea itself. Dried-up lake beds provide material for dust storms, and the Aral Sea's lake beds can be easily discerned in this image, appearing in a lighter shade of beige than the surrounding land. Not a real sea but an inland freshwater body, the Aral Sea was once the world's fourth-largest lake. Due to river diversions, it began retreating [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=4819 ] in the 1960s, its water level falling low enough to split it in two: the North Aral Sea and the South Aral Sea. By the time this picture was taken, the destinies had diverged for the northern and southern portions of this lake. Thanks to conservation efforts, the North Aral Sea had rebounded [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=17634 ] by the spring of 2007. The South Aral Sea, however, continued to decline. Dry lake bed sediments blown aloft in this image appear to originate primarily from the land surrounding the South Aral Sea. NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC |
|
Fires between the Caspian an
…
| Title |
Fires between the Caspian and Aral Seas |
| Description |
At the northern end of the stony deserts scattered across the Ustyurt Plateau between the Caspian Sea (left edge) and the Aral Sea (right) in southern Kazakhstan, several large fires were detected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Terra satellite on June 20, 2004. Areas where the sensor detected active fires are marked in red. The western group of fires is divided in the center by the Emba River, which flows southwestward toward the Caspian Sea. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-GSFC |
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Fires Near the Aral Sea
| Title |
Fires Near the Aral Sea |
| Description |
On April 3, 2003, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Terra satellite detected numerous fires (red dots) burning along the Sydar'ya River in Kazakhstan (upper right) and the Amudar'ya River in northwestern Uzbekistan (left). At bottom left is Turkmenistan. At upper left is the Aral Sea. The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at MODIS' maximum spatial resolution of 250 meters. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC |
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Dust Storm over the South Ar
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
A dust storm formed over the
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aral_tmo_2007129
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2007-05-09 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
aral_tmo_2007129 |
|
Spring in Kazakhstan: Natura
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
Spring was clearly settling
…
ge_19750
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2008-03-30 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
ge_19750 |
|
Dust over the Aral Sea: Natu
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
On April 18, 2003, strong so
…
aralsea.AMO2003108
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2003-04-18 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
aralsea.AMO2003108 |
|
Dust over the Aral Sea: Natu
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
On April 18, 2003, strong so
…
aralsea.AMO2003108
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2003-04-18 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
aralsea.AMO2003108 |
|
Fires Near the Aral Sea: Nat
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
On April 3, 2003, the modis.
…
CentralAsia.TMOA2003093
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2003-04-03 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
CentralAsia.TMOA2003093 |
|
Dust Storm over the Aral Sea
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
Dust plumes rose from desicc
…
aral_amo_2008092
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2008-04-01 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
aral_amo_2008092 |
|
Dust Storm over the Aral Sea
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
A large dust storm blew west
…
ge_19853
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2008-04-29 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
ge_19853 |
|
Dust Storm over the Aral Sea
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
Another dust storm struck th
…
aral_amo_2006244
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2006-09-01 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
aral_amo_2006244 |
|
Fires between the Caspian an
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
At the northern end of the s
…
Kazakhstan.TMOA2004172
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2004-06-20 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
Kazakhstan.TMOA2004172 |
|
Windswept Shores of the Aral
…
PIA04324
Sol (our sun)
Multi-angle Imaging SpectroR
…
| Title |
Windswept Shores of the Aral Sea |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
. The Little Aral Sea is located near the left-hand edge of these images, and the eastern portion of the Large Aral is below image center. Of the two major rivers that once fed the Aral Sea, the freshwater contribution from the Amu Darya River is now negligible. The Syr Darya River now only feeds the Little Aral. Depletion of the Aral Sea has led to soil and water salination and agrochemical contamination. The retreating shoreline leaves the surface encrusted with salt and with agrochemicals brought in by the rivers. As the Sea's moderating climatic influence has diminished, temperature variations in the region have altered, resulting in colder winters and hotter, drier summers. When strong westerly winds occur, large quantities of saline dust (and agrochemical toxins) can travel several hundred kilometers. In these images, several groups of low cumulus clouds are clustered over open bodies of water and are identifiable in the stereo view by their height above the surface. A number of large white streaks extend eastward toward the Kyzylkum desert. Although their altitude cannot be ascertained from the nadir image, the stereo anaglyph shows that they are close to, or at, the surface. Several of these features originate from the eastern edge of the Large Aral, and may be associated with windblown snow and/or salt particles carried aloft. The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer observes the daylit Earth continuously and every 9 days views the entire globe between 82 degrees north and 82 degrees south latitude. These data products were generated from a portion of the imagery acquired during Terra orbit 15741. The panels cover an area of about 370 kilometers x 300 kilometers, and use data from blocks 53 to 56 within World Reference System-2 path 160. MISR was built and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory,Pasadena, CA, for NASA's Office of Earth Science, Washington, DC. The Terra satellite is managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center,Greenbelt, MD. JPL is a division of the California Institute ofTechnology., As recently as the 1960's the Aral Sea of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan was the fourth-largest inland sea in the world. Since then, its water volume has dropped by about 80% due to extensive irrigation systems developed during the Soviet era to produce cotton and other crops. What was once a single body of water has now separated into several smaller seas. Since the separation of the Little Aral from the Large Aral in 1987, the shores of what had once been an island in the middle of the Large Aral (Vozrozhdeniya Island) have expanded to form a land bridge that almost completely separates the eastern and western parts of the Large Aral. These views from the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) portray the Little Aral and the eastern Large Aral at the onset of winter, on December 3, 2002. A natural-color view from MISR's nadir camera is shown at top, while the bottom panel is a 3D stereo anaglyph in which red-band data from the 60-degree forward-viewing camera is combined with green and blue-band data from the nadir (vertical-viewing) camera. To facilitate stereo viewing, the images have been rotated so that north is toward the left and east is toward the top. Viewing the anaglyph in 3D requires the use of red-blue glasses, with the red filter placed over your left eye. Information on ordering glasses can be found at http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/Help/VendorList.html#Glasses [ http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/Help/VendorList.html#Glasses ] |
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