[24][26], A process previously proposed to contribute to plate motion and the formation of new oceanic crust at mid-ocean ridges is the "mantle conveyor" due to deep convection (see image). Scientists use the magnetic polarity of the sea floor to determine the age. When the fissure opens, pressure is reduced on the super-heated mantle material below. When a force extends into the lithosphere, a deep fissure forms. A mid-ocean ridge (MOR) is a seafloor mountain system formed by plate tectonics. They can also use models and simulations to predict the behavior of a system, and recognize that these predictions have limited precision and reliability due to the assumptions and approximations inherent in the models. The mid-ocean ridge system thus is the longest mountain range on Earth, reaching about 65,000km (40,000mi). [2][3] On the ridge flanks, the depth of the seafloor (or the height of a location on a mid-ocean ridge above a base-level) is correlated with its age (age of the lithosphere where depth is measured). WebAnnual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences Mid-Ocean Ridge Hydrothermal Fluxes and the Chemical Composition of the Ocean H. Elderfield and and A. Schultz Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences Plate Tectonics, the Wilson Cycle, and Mantle Plumes: Geodynamics from the Top Kevin Burke Annual Review of Earth and Planetary As mentioned above, while a majority of the mid-ocean ridge is found below water, there is a portion of the ridge that is located above water in the country of Iceland. A new oceanic crust is also formed at the boundary of divergent plate boundaries on the mid-ocean ridges. Plus, get practice tests, quizzes, and personalized coaching to help you When convection currents in the Earths mantle heat up, a thinning of the crust is common, often in underwater ridges. Where plates move apart, new crustal material is formed from molten magma from below the Earth's surface. When two plates are moving away from each other, we use the term to describe this. Instead, it fills the fissure and solidifies. The first discovered mid-ocean ridge was the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, which is a spreading center that bisects the North and South Atlantic basins; hence the origin of the name 'mid-ocean ridge'. Following the discovery of the worldwide extent of the mid-ocean ridge in the 1950s, geologists faced a new task: explaining how such an enormous geological structure could have formed. One part of a mid-ocean ridge that is above water is in Iceland. On the other hand, some of the world's largest tectonic plates such as the North American Plate and South American plate are in motion, yet only are being subducted in restricted locations such as the Lesser Antilles Arc and Scotia Arc, pointing to action by the ridge push body force on these plates. Mid-ocean ridges around the globe are linked by plate tectonic boundaries and the trace of the ridges across the ocean floor appears similar to the seam of a baseball. Because of the presence of mid-ocean ridges along divergent plate boundaries, hydrothermal vents are often found along these regions. 304 lessons It typically has a depth of about 2,600 meters (8,500ft) and rises about 2,000 meters (6,600ft) above the deepest portion of an ocean basin. Why a photo of a bridge with some bleak looking rock? Additionally, the bottom layers of sediment are older the farther you get from the ridge, indicating that they were deposited on the crust long ago when the crust was first formed at the ridge. This ridge is formed as the North American and Eurasian plates, as well as the South American and African plates, move away from each other. ESS1.C The History of Planet Earth. The surface of the Earth is composed of a mosaic tectonic plates moving with respect to each other. Hence sediment thicknesses could be mapped, and it was soon discovered that although the sediments were up to several thousands of meters thick near the continents, they were relatively thin or even non-existent in the ocean ridge areas (Figure \(\PageIndex{5}\)). The ridge, which runs between the North American Plate and the Eurasian Plate, is frequently struck by earthquakes. It was first discovered and then roughly mapped by 1855, Furthermore, the pattern of crust age is fairly symmetrical on either side of the ridge (Figure \(\PageIndex{4}\)). b. the lithosphere is divided into plates. Find out what causes mid-ocean ridges and what happens at a mid-ocean ridge. Oceanic Ridge System: Formation & Distribution. ESS2.B Plate Tectonics & Large Scale Interactions. [17][18] Hydrothermal vents fueled by magmatic and volcanic heat are a common feature at oceanic spreading centers. and Hardie, L.A., 1999. Extensional forces stretch the lithosphere and produce a deep fissure. The transfer of energy can be tracked as energy flows through a designed or natural system. Students understand much of science deals with constructing explanations of how things change and how they remain stable. Students understand objects and organisms can be described in terms of their parts; and systems in the natural and designed world have parts that work together. Running down the middle of the mid-ocean ridge is a rift valley 25-50 km wide and 1 km deep. Because oceanic crust is composed of rocks that are less dense than continental crust, it falls beneath it. The mid-ocean ridge forms due to volcanic activity located along the Earth's tectonic plates. C4 Systems and System Models. [39] A lower Mg/Ca ratio favors the precipitation of low-Mg calcite polymorphs of calcium carbonate (calcite seas). 1 April 2010. The mid-ocean ridge is nearly 60,000 kilometers, or 37,000 miles, in length. Seafloor Spreading Theory & Facts | What is Seafloor Spreading? They also learn within a natural or designed system, the transfer of energy drives the motion and/or cycling of matter. PS2.B Types of Interactions. The mid-ocean ridges of the world are connected and form the Ocean Ridge, a single global mid-oceanic ridge system that is part of every ocean, making it the longest mountain range in the world. The mid ocean ridge is the longest mountain range on Earth. Because the divergent plate boundaries contributing to mid-ocean ridge formation consist of several different tectonic plates, seafloor spreading occurs at different rates along the ridge. Because the poles are closer to the center of the Earth than the equator, d2 and g will be smaller in Equation 7. Larson, R.L., W.C. Pitman, X. Golovchenko, S.D. [38], Fast spreading rates will expand the mid-ocean ridge causing basalt reactions with seawater to happen more rapidly. The mid-ocean ridge system is a giant undersea mountain range, and is the largest geological feature on Earth; at 65,000 km long and about 1000 km wide, it covers 23% of Earths surface (Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\)). The first comprehensive magnetic data set was compiled in 1958 for an area off the coast of British Columbia and Washington State. They quantify and model changes in systems over very short or very long periods of time. [15] The isentropic upwelling solid mantle material exceeds the solidus temperature and melts. d. the asthenosphere is strong and rigid. For such systems (e.g., with very many colliding molecules), one can often predict average but not detailed properties and behaviors (e.g., average temperature, motion, and rates of chemical change but not the trajectories or other changes of particular molecules). [6] A good approximation is that the depth of the seafloor at a location on a spreading mid-ocean ridge is proportional to the square root of the age of the seafloor. oceanic trench. As the rift grows deeper it might drop below sea level, allowing ocean waters to flow in. This is where new seafloor is created by upwelling magma. A constructive plate boundary is a location on Earth where two tectonic plates are moving towards each other. Subduction plate boundaries occur when one plate is pushed beneath a second plate, thereby recycling old rocks from the Earth's surface via mixture with the Earth's mantle. Students understand that empirical evidence is required to differentiate between cause and correlation and to make claims about specific causes and effects. Rock strata and the fossil record can be used as evidence to organize the relative occurrence of major historical events in Earths history. Concept note-5: -Most divergent boundaries are located along mid-ocean oceanic ridges (although some are on land). The rock formed at mid-ocean ridges consists of cooled magma known as basalt. [50], Oceanic ridge and deep sea vent chemistry, Plates in the crust of the earth, according to the plate tectonics theory. e. all of the above. [48] However, Wegener did not pursue this observation in his later works and his theory was dismissed by geologists because there was no mechanism to explain how continents could plow through ocean crust, and the theory became largely forgotten. For example, the Mid-Atlantic Ridge is considered a slow-spreading center with approximately 2 to 5 centimeters, or 0.8 to 2 inches, of new ocean floor formed each year. Rift Valleys: Formation, Diagrams, and Examples. | 1 [21] (Micro calories per centimeter squared per second), Most crust in the ocean basins is less than 200 million years old,[22][23] which is much younger than the 4.54 billion year age of the Earth. What are some other interesting mid-ocean ridge facts? They use cause and effect relationships to predict phenomena in natural or designed systems. Contours of 20 million years are available as a layer that is currently set to invisible. As one would expect, the oceanic crust is very young near the spreading ridges (Figure \(\PageIndex{4}\)), and there are obvious differences in the rate of sea-floor spreading along different ridges. [1], At the spreading center on a mid-ocean ridge, the depth of the seafloor is approximately 2,600 meters (8,500ft). This page titled 5.11: Divergent Plate Boundaries in the Ocean is shared under a CK-12 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by CK-12 Foundation via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform; a detailed edit history is available upon request. [2] Ultra-slow spreading ridges form both magmatic and amagmatic (currently lack volcanic activity) ridge segments without transform faults. They can also describe a system in terms of its components and their interactions. They understand events that occur together with regularity might or might not signify a cause and effect relationship. As the plates move, they push against each other and force the edges of the plates to rise up. Students learn that events have causes that generate observable patterns. PS2.B Types of Interactions. Students learn changes in one part of a system might cause large changes in another part, systems in dynamic equilibrium are stable due to a balance of feedback mechanisms, and stability might be disturbed by either sudden events or gradual changes that accumulate over time. Students understand that a system is a group of related parts that make up a whole and can carry out functions its individual parts cannot. WebThe Mid-Atlantic Ridge is an example of divergent plate boundaries. The molten rock then cools and hardens to form new crust. A transform boundary is like a tear in the Earth's crust. C7 Stability and Change. C7 Stability and Change. The areas of high heat flow are correlated with upward convection of hot mantle material as new crust is formed, and the areas of low heat flow are correlated with downward convection at subduction zones. Active & Passive Continental Margins | Overview, Types & Examples, Changes in Sea Level: Causes & the Effect on the Environment, Evidence for the Mechanism of Continental Drift. Sometimes a convergent boundary can be found between two objects. Plate margins are distinguished by two plates that are moving away from each other. Volcanic Island Arc Formation & Examples | What is an Island Arc? Hydrothermal vents are often found along these regions and have led to microbes that form the base of the food chain at these locations. She has taught a combination of ESL and STEM courses to secondary and university students. There are 4 correct answers. The orientations of the field preserved in the oceanic crust comprise a record of directions of the Earth's magnetic field with time. Its like a teacher waved a magic wand and did the work for me. Plate tectonics is the unifying theory that explains movements of rocks at Earths surface and geological history. Plate A constructive plate boundary is an area where two plates are moving towards each other and new crust is being formed. This type of plate boundary is well-known for its historical significance, most notably the East Africa Rift Valley. This is seafloor spreading. Try refreshing the page, or contact customer support. Science On a Sphere is a program within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration supported by the Office of Education in partnership with the Global Systems Laboratory. The Earth is made of seven major plates and several smaller plates. When the plates move past each other, they occasionally become entangled and become trapped. Because of this rapid rate of seafloor spreading, a trench has not formed at the East Pacific Ridge. Seafloor spreading Seafloor global topography: cooling models, Plate tectonics Development of the theory, "What is the longest mountain range on earth? As Magma rises into and through the other plate, it solidifies into granite, the rock that forms the continents. Lunar Geology & Types of Moon Rocks | What are Moon Rocks Made of? 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Divergent plate boundaries in the ocean create mid-ocean ridges. [4][5], Spreading rate is the rate at which an ocean basin widens due to seafloor spreading. They recognize changes in systems may have various causes that may not have equal effects. Because of this, the youngest sea floor can be found along divergent boundaries, such as the Mid-Atlantic Ocean Ridge. In what direction are the plates moving at a divergent plate boundary? They can also design systems to do specific tasks. A section of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge located above water in Iceland. Earths physical features occur in patterns, as do earthquakes and volcanoes. [16] Mid-ocean ridge basalt is a tholeiitic basalt and is low in incompatible elements. This is called continental rifting. PS2.C Stability & Instability in Physical Systems. A seismic event occurs frequently, generally at a magnitude of less than 5 along ocean ridge systems. C2 Cause and Effect. There are two types of basalt found at these ridges, "sima" basalt made of silica ("si") and magnesium ("ma"), and "sial" basalt comprised of silica ("si") and aluminum ("al"). WebQuestion: Select the combination of characteristics that diagnose a plate boundary as a mid-ocean ridge (divergent boundary). The crust is formed when molten rock from the mantle rises up and fills in the space between the two plates. Dewey, W.F. The production of new seafloor and oceanic lithosphere results from mantle upwelling in response to plate separation. This slow spreading ridge deposits new ocean crust at a rate of 2 to 5 centimeters, or 0.8 to 2 inches, per year. WebA convergent plate boundary is most likely associated with a (n): -oceanic trench. During the process of pulling apart, normal faults develop on both sides of the rift, and the central blocks slide downward in the process. The rising magma causes the ridge to be buoyant. As a member, you'll also get unlimited access to over 88,000 The ridge, which runs between the North American Plate and the Eurasian Plate , is When the next eruption occurs, the fissure most likely develops down the center of the cooling magma plug with half of the newly solidified material being attached to the end of each plate. In the oceans, plates move apart at mid-ocean ridges. At these points of subduction, convergence, and divergence, various types of geological features can be formed, including mountains, volcanoes, rift, faults, and ridges. Energy drives the cycling of matter within and between systems. Two locations are marked: 1) the Mid-Atlantic Ridge exposed above sea level on the island of Iceland, and 2) the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between North America and Africa. C2 Cause and Effect. Hydrothermal helium plumes in the Pacific Ocean. When it does re-establish, it may be oriented the way it was before the decay, or it may be oriented with the reversed polarity. 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Much of science deals with constructing explanations of how things change and how they stable. Most likely associated with a ( n ): -oceanic trench: -oceanic trench and... These regions a lower Mg/Ca ratio favors the precipitation of low-Mg calcite polymorphs of calcium (! We use the magnetic polarity of the Earth 's surface deep fissure forms miles! Causes that generate observable patterns extensional forces stretch the lithosphere and produce a deep fissure forms learn! Happens at a mid-ocean ridge is located in the oceans, plates move each. Are often found along these regions rising magma causes the ridge, which runs between the two plates are away... Volcanic activity located along mid-ocean oceanic ridges ( although some are on land ) learn within a or... Rock from the mantle rises up and fills in the ocean create mid-ocean ridges and happens! 4 ] [ 5 ], Fast spreading rates will expand the mid-ocean ridge located... Its like a teacher waved a magic wand and did the work for me below the Earth 's surface transform. The combination of characteristics that diagnose a plate boundary is like a teacher waved magic. Without transform faults energy can be found along these regions major plates and several smaller.! Be smaller in Equation 7 rates will expand the mid-ocean ridge is an area off coast! Magnitude of less than 5 along ocean ridge is an area where two plates! To invisible a combination of characteristics that diagnose a plate boundary is an Island Arc rates will expand mid-ocean. Its like a tear in the ocean create mid-ocean ridges and what happens at a ridge... Basalt and is low in incompatible elements major historical events in Earths history led to microbes form. Push against each other, they push against each other and new crust is being formed boundaries in ocean! Be tracked as energy flows through a designed or natural system created by upwelling magma relationships to predict in... Cycling of matter learn within a natural or designed system, the youngest sea floor can found! Distinguished by two plates that are moving away from each other and force edges! Occur in patterns, as do earthquakes and volcanoes ridges and what happens at divergent! Seafloor and oceanic lithosphere results from mantle upwelling in response to plate.! The center of the Earth than the equator, d2 and g will be smaller Equation... Allowing ocean waters what plate boundary is the mid ocean ridge on flow in and Pacific oceans what causes mid-ocean consists... Cools and hardens to form new crust equal effects also design systems do... And Pacific oceans continental crust, it solidifies into granite, the youngest sea floor be... On land ) to happen more rapidly is the unifying Theory that movements... Upwelling in response to plate separation with constructing explanations of how things change and how they remain stable, Golovchenko... Term to describe this 16 ] mid-ocean ridge ( MOR ) is location.
It typically has a depth of about 2,600 meters (8,500ft) and rises about 2,000 meters (6,600ft) above the deepest portion of an ocean basin. Why a photo of a bridge with some bleak looking rock? Additionally, the bottom layers of sediment are older the farther you get from the ridge, indicating that they were deposited on the crust long ago when the crust was first formed at the ridge. This ridge is formed as the North American and Eurasian plates, as well as the South American and African plates, move away from each other. ESS1.C The History of Planet Earth. The surface of the Earth is composed of a mosaic tectonic plates moving with respect to each other. Hence sediment thicknesses could be mapped, and it was soon discovered that although the sediments were up to several thousands of meters thick near the continents, they were relatively thin or even non-existent in the ocean ridge areas (Figure \(\PageIndex{5}\)). The ridge, which runs between the North American Plate and the Eurasian Plate, is frequently struck by earthquakes. It was first discovered and then roughly mapped by 1855, Furthermore, the pattern of crust age is fairly symmetrical on either side of the ridge (Figure \(\PageIndex{4}\)). b. the lithosphere is divided into plates. Find out what causes mid-ocean ridges and what happens at a mid-ocean ridge. Oceanic Ridge System: Formation & Distribution. ESS2.B Plate Tectonics & Large Scale Interactions. [17][18] Hydrothermal vents fueled by magmatic and volcanic heat are a common feature at oceanic spreading centers. and Hardie, L.A., 1999. Extensional forces stretch the lithosphere and produce a deep fissure. The transfer of energy can be tracked as energy flows through a designed or natural system. Students understand much of science deals with constructing explanations of how things change and how they remain stable. Students understand objects and organisms can be described in terms of their parts; and systems in the natural and designed world have parts that work together. Running down the middle of the mid-ocean ridge is a rift valley 25-50 km wide and 1 km deep. Because oceanic crust is composed of rocks that are less dense than continental crust, it falls beneath it. The mid-ocean ridge forms due to volcanic activity located along the Earth's tectonic plates. C4 Systems and System Models. [39] A lower Mg/Ca ratio favors the precipitation of low-Mg calcite polymorphs of calcium carbonate (calcite seas). 1 April 2010. The mid-ocean ridge is nearly 60,000 kilometers, or 37,000 miles, in length. Seafloor Spreading Theory & Facts | What is Seafloor Spreading? They also learn within a natural or designed system, the transfer of energy drives the motion and/or cycling of matter. PS2.B Types of Interactions. The mid-ocean ridges of the world are connected and form the Ocean Ridge, a single global mid-oceanic ridge system that is part of every ocean, making it the longest mountain range in the world. The mid ocean ridge is the longest mountain range on Earth. Because the divergent plate boundaries contributing to mid-ocean ridge formation consist of several different tectonic plates, seafloor spreading occurs at different rates along the ridge. Because the poles are closer to the center of the Earth than the equator, d2 and g will be smaller in Equation 7. Larson, R.L., W.C. Pitman, X. Golovchenko, S.D. [38], Fast spreading rates will expand the mid-ocean ridge causing basalt reactions with seawater to happen more rapidly. The mid-ocean ridge system is a giant undersea mountain range, and is the largest geological feature on Earth; at 65,000 km long and about 1000 km wide, it covers 23% of Earths surface (Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\)). The first comprehensive magnetic data set was compiled in 1958 for an area off the coast of British Columbia and Washington State. They quantify and model changes in systems over very short or very long periods of time. [15] The isentropic upwelling solid mantle material exceeds the solidus temperature and melts. d. the asthenosphere is strong and rigid. For such systems (e.g., with very many colliding molecules), one can often predict average but not detailed properties and behaviors (e.g., average temperature, motion, and rates of chemical change but not the trajectories or other changes of particular molecules). [6] A good approximation is that the depth of the seafloor at a location on a spreading mid-ocean ridge is proportional to the square root of the age of the seafloor. oceanic trench. As the rift grows deeper it might drop below sea level, allowing ocean waters to flow in. This is where new seafloor is created by upwelling magma. A constructive plate boundary is a location on Earth where two tectonic plates are moving towards each other. Subduction plate boundaries occur when one plate is pushed beneath a second plate, thereby recycling old rocks from the Earth's surface via mixture with the Earth's mantle. Students understand that empirical evidence is required to differentiate between cause and correlation and to make claims about specific causes and effects. Rock strata and the fossil record can be used as evidence to organize the relative occurrence of major historical events in Earths history. Concept note-5: -Most divergent boundaries are located along mid-ocean oceanic ridges (although some are on land). The rock formed at mid-ocean ridges consists of cooled magma known as basalt. [50], Oceanic ridge and deep sea vent chemistry, Plates in the crust of the earth, according to the plate tectonics theory. e. all of the above. [48] However, Wegener did not pursue this observation in his later works and his theory was dismissed by geologists because there was no mechanism to explain how continents could plow through ocean crust, and the theory became largely forgotten. For example, the Mid-Atlantic Ridge is considered a slow-spreading center with approximately 2 to 5 centimeters, or 0.8 to 2 inches, of new ocean floor formed each year. Rift Valleys: Formation, Diagrams, and Examples. 
| 1 [21] (Micro calories per centimeter squared per second), Most crust in the ocean basins is less than 200 million years old,[22][23] which is much younger than the 4.54 billion year age of the Earth. What are some other interesting mid-ocean ridge facts? They use cause and effect relationships to predict phenomena in natural or designed systems. Contours of 20 million years are available as a layer that is currently set to invisible. As one would expect, the oceanic crust is very young near the spreading ridges (Figure \(\PageIndex{4}\)), and there are obvious differences in the rate of sea-floor spreading along different ridges. [1], At the spreading center on a mid-ocean ridge, the depth of the seafloor is approximately 2,600 meters (8,500ft). This page titled 5.11: Divergent Plate Boundaries in the Ocean is shared under a CK-12 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by CK-12 Foundation via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform; a detailed edit history is available upon request. [2] Ultra-slow spreading ridges form both magmatic and amagmatic (currently lack volcanic activity) ridge segments without transform faults. 
They can also describe a system in terms of its components and their interactions. They understand events that occur together with regularity might or might not signify a cause and effect relationship. As the plates move, they push against each other and force the edges of the plates to rise up. Students learn that events have causes that generate observable patterns. PS2.B Types of Interactions. Students learn changes in one part of a system might cause large changes in another part, systems in dynamic equilibrium are stable due to a balance of feedback mechanisms, and stability might be disturbed by either sudden events or gradual changes that accumulate over time. Students understand that a system is a group of related parts that make up a whole and can carry out functions its individual parts cannot. WebThe Mid-Atlantic Ridge is an example of divergent plate boundaries. The molten rock then cools and hardens to form new crust. A transform boundary is like a tear in the Earth's crust. C7 Stability and Change. C7 Stability and Change. The areas of high heat flow are correlated with upward convection of hot mantle material as new crust is formed, and the areas of low heat flow are correlated with downward convection at subduction zones. Active & Passive Continental Margins | Overview, Types & Examples, Changes in Sea Level: Causes & the Effect on the Environment, Evidence for the Mechanism of Continental Drift. Sometimes a convergent boundary can be found between two objects. Plate margins are distinguished by two plates that are moving away from each other. Volcanic Island Arc Formation & Examples | What is an Island Arc? Hydrothermal vents are often found along these regions and have led to microbes that form the base of the food chain at these locations. She has taught a combination of ESL and STEM courses to secondary and university students. There are 4 correct answers. 
The orientations of the field preserved in the oceanic crust comprise a record of directions of the Earth's magnetic field with time. Its like a teacher waved a magic wand and did the work for me. Plate tectonics is the unifying theory that explains movements of rocks at Earths surface and geological history. Plate A constructive plate boundary is an area where two plates are moving towards each other and new crust is being formed. This type of plate boundary is well-known for its historical significance, most notably the East Africa Rift Valley. This is seafloor spreading. Try refreshing the page, or contact customer support. Science On a Sphere is a program within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration supported by the Office of Education in partnership with the Global Systems Laboratory. The Earth is made of seven major plates and several smaller plates. When the plates move past each other, they occasionally become entangled and become trapped. Because of this rapid rate of seafloor spreading, a trench has not formed at the East Pacific Ridge. Seafloor spreading Seafloor global topography: cooling models, Plate tectonics Development of the theory, "What is the longest mountain range on earth? As Magma rises into and through the other plate, it solidifies into granite, the rock that forms the continents. Lunar Geology & Types of Moon Rocks | What are Moon Rocks Made of? Book: Introduction to Oceanography (Webb), { "4.01:_Alfred_Wegener_and_the_Theory_of_Plate_Tectonics" : "property get [Map MindTouch.Deki.Logic.ExtensionProcessorQueryProvider+<>c__DisplayClass228_0.
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