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| The pond in Halemaʻumaʻu, from 2,000 feet up, on the rim of the caldera. HVO scientists state the water has potential to cause explosions, but that they would likely be confined to the crater floor. Learn more, below. USGS photo |
Honolulu Council member Kymberly Marcos Pine's Keep Hawaiʻi Hawaiʻi pledge would ask visitors to sign on to mitigate environmental and cultural impacts of tourism. She told Pacific Business News: "We are at a very key moment in our history to do a better job of managing tourism. We need to manage tourism better so that [residents] don't rebel against tourism — it's our No. 1 economy and we don't want that to happen — and also to ensure that our natural resources aren't being overtaxed." She reported beaches overrun with visitors, tour companies dropping busloads into neighborhoods, leaving trash at beaches and along trails. She also reported tourists entering sacred areas and damaging native plants.
She said she wants to reduce conflict between locals and visitors. Her Keep Hawaiʻi Hawaiʻi pledge would ask visitors to commit to "respecting the culture, respecting the natural environment, and leaving it the way they found it," she told Pacific Business News. "We have to take this very seriously because our reefs are going to be destroyed, our natural environment is going to be destroyed, the local people are going to revolt against the tourism industry. We have to educate [visitors] about how to keep Hawaiʻi Hawaiʻi."
The water in the drill hole is occasionally monitored, its level varying less than 10 or 20 meters (32 to 65 feet) since 1973. Scientists study whether the water level varies with summit activity. There is nothing definite, said HVO scientist Jim Kauahikaua.
He said that during the collapse in 2018, "many of us thought that there would be a large change in the water level, but there wasn't. We were all kind of stumped when there was this huge collapse that took the bottom of Halema‘uma‘u crater below where the water level was thought to have been, and there was no water there. So, over the past year, we've kind of accepted that maybe there was some error in the water table estimates early on.
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| The pond grew from three tiny, disconnected puddles into one body within a month of its discovery. USGS photo |
Before the 2018 eruption, there was a fairly level water table, about 500 m (1,500 ft) below Kīlauea caldera's floor. In 2008, when the magma rose up to the crater floor and initially created the lava lake, as it was rising through the groundwater, said Kauahikaua "it apparently developed a steam sleeve around it to insulate the groundwater from the magma, and therefore, essentially prevent more explosive interactions. In 2018, when the crater floor collapsed, the groundwater either dropped with the crater floor or somehow vacated that space, and it became quite a bit deeper."
He said the water table went down with the collapsing crater floor and was well below the bottom of the new Halema‘uma‘u pit. "With time," he said, "that rose, and in July of this year, it became visible at the bottom of the pit and it's continued to rise ever since. From the 1973 drill hole we know how deep the water table is at that location, about a mile south of the current crater lake. With geophysical information from around the crater, and the crater floor, we think that the water table may be a bit higher to the north side of the crater."
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| The steaming, green pond in Halemaʻumaʻu continues to rise as it seeks equilibrium with the surrounding water table. USGS photo |
He said this will be a slow process, although the volcanic rock rise is "quite rapid compared to what it would be in a different type of rock on the mainland. But it's doing exactly what it should, and it should slow down as it approaches that hydraulic equilibrium level."
Kauahikaua said HVO scientists expect the pond to rise another 60 or 70 m (180 to 210 ft) before it reaches hydraulic equilibrium with the groundwater around it. The groundwater underneath the crater is confined by structures around it and does not extend to the ocean.
See more on the study of the pond in Friday's Kaʻū News Briefs.
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| Brenda Iokepa Moses (center) with other Directors and the Undersecretary of Rural Development for the USDA. Photo from USDA |
BRENDA IOKEPA MOSES, NEW STATE AND PACIFIC DIRECTOR OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT, under the U.S. Department of Agriculture, flew to Albuquerque this week. She and other directors met with with newly appointed Undersecretary of Agriculture DJ Lavoy, who heads Rural Development nationally. LaVoy has more than 22 years of experience working as a leader in affordable housing and economic development at the U.S. Department of Housing and UrbanDevelopment. Iokepa Moses, who lives in Pāhala, became a Rural Development Director this month following decades of work in Kaʻū with Kaʻū Coffee farm and cattle leases and other real estate and agricultural concerns.
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HAWAIʻI STATE TRADE EXPANSION PROGRAM will receive over $500,000 in federal grants
from the U.S. Small Business Administration, announced Sen. Mazie Hirono on Thursday.
The funding is provided through SBA's State Trade Expansion Program, which Congress created in 2010 to generate opportunities for small businesses to engage in international trade and export development. Through the program, competitive grants are awarded to state economic development agencies, which provide small businesses with grant assistance, training, and related opportunities to connect with customers abroad. Funded by SBA, HiSTEP is a comprehensive program to help small
businesses in Hawaiʻi with export development.
During the last seven years Hawaiʻi has received more than $4 million through STEP, which it has used to support more than $80 million in new exports for Hawaiʻi businesses. The program has also created over $100 million in economic impacts and generated millions in state taxes, while supporting over 800 new jobs.
HAWAIʻI STATE TRADE EXPANSION PROGRAM will receive over $500,000 in federal grants
from the U.S. Small Business Administration, announced Sen. Mazie Hirono on Thursday.
The funding is provided through SBA's State Trade Expansion Program, which Congress created in 2010 to generate opportunities for small businesses to engage in international trade and export development. Through the program, competitive grants are awarded to state economic development agencies, which provide small businesses with grant assistance, training, and related opportunities to connect with customers abroad. Funded by SBA, HiSTEP is a comprehensive program to help small
businesses in Hawaiʻi with export development.
During the last seven years Hawaiʻi has received more than $4 million through STEP, which it has used to support more than $80 million in new exports for Hawaiʻi businesses. The program has also created over $100 million in economic impacts and generated millions in state taxes, while supporting over 800 new jobs.
Said Hirono, "Local small businesses must be able to reach overseas markets and share their products if we are going to compete and thrive in today's economy. Hawaiʻi-made products are iconic, and this funding will support continued efforts to diversify our local economy, create new jobs, and draw new visitors to our state. Dennis Ling, Administrator for the Hawaiʻi Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism, said, "This is the seventh year that Hawaiʻi has received this grant and it provides a tremendous program for Hawaiʻi companies to increase exports and enter new markets. We are very grateful for the continued support of the SBA and Senator Mazie Hirono, who sits on the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee for this program, which has allowed us to continue the success of Hawaiʻi State Trade Expansion Program. Between 2012 and 2018, we have supported over 600 Hawaiʻi companies to increase total export sales by $87.7 million. Hawaiʻi's iconic brand is becoming more established and recognized for quality and authenticity worldwide."
Hirono voted to create STEP in the 111th Congress. Since then, she has continued to support the program including during her time on the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee. Earlier this year, she signed a letter with 16 of her colleagues requesting increased funding for the program in fiscal year 2020.
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GREEN LIVING IN HAWAIʻI is high, compared to most other states, reports WalletHub. Choosing to engage in cleaner, more sustainable habits in order to preserve the planet as much as possible, Hawaiʻi is making strides toward more renewable energy and other environmentally conscious choices. A recent WalletHub report states Hawaiʻi ranks third in the U.S. for green transportation. At 12th overall, Hawaiʻi's rank for Lifestyle and Policies is 11th, for Energy Sources is 32nd, and for Environment is 35th. Honolulu also has the highest number of farmers markets per capita in the nation.
Walletub reports that nearly two-thirds of Americans believe that "stricter environmental regulations are worth the cost," and a majority of Americans think the government is currently doing too little to improve water and air quality, 69 percent and 64 percent, respectively.
The Trump administration has recently changed standards for the coal industry, reported WalletHub, rolling back regulations on coal plant emissions, which has led to a lawsuit by 21 states. WalletHub reported that, while many people expected solar power to struggle under new tariffs aimed at goods manufactured abroad, the industry has bounced back, with an expected job growth of 7 percent so far this year.
Clean energy and other green practices, such as recycling programs and urban agriculture, benefit the environment and public health, all of which contribute to America's bottom line, including employing Americans, according to many experts, reported WalletHub. Cities across the U.S. have increased their sustainability efforts and benefited economically.
WalletHub compared the 100 largest cities across 28 indicators, from greenhouse-gas emissions per capita to number of smart-energy policies and initiatives to green job opportunities. See the full report at wallethub.com/edu/most-least-green-cities/16246/.
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WHY DO SO MANY DEEP EARTHQUAKES HAPPEN AROUND PĀHALA? Asks this week's Volcano Watch, written by U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists and affiliates. HVO geophysicist Brian Shiro wrote this week's article:
The USGS HVO detects tens of thousands of earthquakes each year. Currently, one of the most active areas of seismicity is Kīlauea 's lower Southwest Rift Zone. This area produces numerous deep earthquakes, mostly at depths of 25-40 km (15-25 mi), beneath the town of Pāhala and extending about 10 km (6 mi) offshore.
Since the beginning of a recent earthquake swarm in August 2019, HVO has recorded over 1000 deep earthquakes in this region, which accounts for about 15 percent of all earthquakes detected on the Island of Hawai‘i during that time. The largest of these was a magnitude-4.0 earthquake on October 8 that was weakly felt by residents.
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About 1,300 earthquakes with magnitudes greater than 1 and at depths over 20 km (12 mi) on and around Hawaiʻi Island since August 2019 are depicted on this map. Most of the earthquakes were clustered beneath the southern edge of the island near the town of Pāhala. Blue and purple dots indicate earthquakes at 20-40 km (12-25 mi) and more than 40 km (25 mi) depths, respectively. USGS map by B. Shiro |
In fact, 34 deep events have been reported felt in the region since 2006, including a magnitude-4.7 earthquake in January of that year. The uptick in seismicity in recent months is the latest chapter in a decades-long history of observed earthquakes in the area.
This persistent source of seismicity was first identified on seismic records by HVO staff at least as far back as the 1960s. They characterized episodes of harmonic tremor, ascribing it to upwelling of magma within fluid-filled cracks deep beneath the island. Given the region's location about 40 km (25 mi) from Kīlauea's summit and about 50 km (31 mi) from Mauna Loa's summit, it was unclear how magma in this deep region might relate to surface volcanism, if at all.
As HVO's seismic monitoring network has improved over the years, our ability to detect different types of seismicity has increased. For example, a USGS study published in 2006 characterized earthquakes in the region in addition to tremor.
Noticing that the earthquakes tend to occur shallower than the tremor, the authors proposed that a mineralogical transition in Earth's mantle at 32 km (20 mi) depth could enable a magma transport path to Kīlauea . They also noticed that the earthquake depths tend to become somewhat shallower in the direction of Mauna Loa 's summit, suggesting a magma transport path from this region may also feed Mauna Loa .
A seismic experiment in the mid-2000s called PLUME (Plume-Lithosphere Undersea Mantle Experiment) utilized seismic waves recorded by land and ocean-bottom seismometers to peer deep beneath the island in a manner similar to how a CAT scan images the human body. Using this data, researchers in 2011 discovered a broad zone of low seismic velocity down to at least 1000 km (620 mi) beneath the southern portion of the island where the deep seismicity takes place. They interpreted it as the location where the hot spot that created our island chain currently rises beneath Hawaiʻi. This observation supported the earlier hypothesis that the area of deep seismicity likely indicates the magma source that feeds the active volcanoes.
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| The Oct. 8 quake originated at Lōʻihi Seamount. USGS map |
Using other modern computer algorithms to pore through seismic data traces, USGS researchers in 2015 characterized three main types of earthquakes in this region, including both short and long period earthquakes in addition to tremor. They interpreted the seismicity to be at the top of a deep magma body that leads to a deep fault zone, which may indicate a magma transport pathway feeding Kīlauea .
Since late 2015, HVO has recorded an elevated level of seismicity in the region deep under Pāhala. The currently observed rates are typically 10-20 events per day, but sometimes exceed 40 per day. Only swarms in 1972 and 1975 have exceeded this rate.
Seismic activity beneath Pāhala provides a window into the deep magma pathways under the island. Scientists continue to study this enigmatic region to better understand the processes that feed Hawaiʻi's volcanoes.
While these deeper earthquakes, in their own right, do not likely pose a strong hazard, shallow crustal earthquakes in this geographic area have sometimes been damaging, including the 1868 magnitude-7.9 Great Kaʻū earthquake and its many aftershocks.
HVO encourages all Hawaiʻi residents to practice good earthquake safety and preparedness by participating in the annual Great Hawaiʻi ShakeOut on October 17 or on whatever day works for you. Remembering to "Drop, Cover, and Hold On" when you feel strong shaking is the best way to protect yourself during an earthquake. Learn more at shakeout.org/hawaii/.
Volcano Activity Updates
Kῑlauea Volcano is not erupting and its USGS Volcano Alert level remains at NORMAL . Deformation and seismicity showed no notable changes over the past week. Sulfur dioxide emission rates are low at the summit and below detection limits at Puʻu ʻŌʻō and the lower East Rift Zone. The water pond at the bottom of Halema‘uma‘u continues to slowly expand and deepen.
Two earthquakes with three or more felt reports occurred in Hawaiʻi this past week: a magnitude-2.3 quake 2 km (1 mi) southwest of Honalo at 11 km (7 mi) depth on Oct. 8 at 7:27 a.m. , and a magnitude-4.0 quake 39 km (24 mi) southeast of Pāhala at 16 km (10 mi) depth on Oct. 8 at 3:05 a.m.
Visit volcanoes.usgs.gov/hvofor past Volcano Watch articles, Kīlauea and Mauna Loa updates, volcano photos, maps, recent earthquake info, and more. Email questions to askHVO@usgs.gov.
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See public Kaʻū events, meetings, entertainment. Print edition of The Kaʻū Calendar is free to 5,500 mailboxes throughout Kaʻū, from Miloliʻi through Volcano, and free on stands throughout the district. Read online at kaucalendar.com |
2019 Kaʻū High School Fall Athletics Schedule
See khpes.org/athletics-home for details and updates
Football, Division II:
Sat., Oct. 19, 11 a.m. , Kaʻū hosts Pāhoa
Sat., Oct. 26, 1 p.m. , Kohala hosts Kaʻū
Fri. and Sat., Nov. 1 and 2, Div II BIIF Championship
Fri. and Sat., Nov. 15 and 16, HHSAA Div II Semifinals
Fri., Nov. 29, HHSAA Div II Championship
Girls Volleyball, Kaʻū District Gym:
Mon., Oct. 14, 6 p.m. , BIIF Div II First Round at
Tue., Oct. 15, 2:30 p.m. , BIIF Div II Semifinals at
Wed., Oct. 16, 4 p.m. , BIIF Div II Finals at
Wed.-Sat., Oct. 23-26, HHSAA DII Tournament, Oʻahu
Wed.-Sat., Oct. 23-26, HHSAA DII Tournament, Oʻahu
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See monthly and weekly Kaʻū and Volcano Events, Meetings, Entertainment, Exercise, and Meditation at kaucalendar.com.
SUNDAY, OCT. 13
‘Ōhi‘a Lehua, Sunday, Oct. 13, 9:30-11a.m., Kahuku Unit, HVNP. Free, easy one-mile walk. nps.gov/havo/
Medicine for the Mind: Teachings in the Tibetan Buddhist Tradition, Sunday, Oct. 13 – 2nd Sunday, monthly – 3-5p.m., Volcano Art Center. Free; calabash donations welcome. Dress warmly. Patty Johnson, 345-1527, volcanoartcenter.org
MONDAY, OCT. 14
Monday Movie Night: Moananuiakea, Monday, Oct. 14, 6-7:30p.m., Volcano Art Center. $5 donation suggested. Popcorn and snacks available for purchase. Bring a cushion. 967-8222, volcanoartcenter.org
TUESDAY, OCT. 15
Hawai‘i County Council Mtgs., Tuesday, Oct. 15 (Committees), Wednesday, Oct. 17, (Council), Kona. Ka‘ū residents can participate via videoconferencing at Nā‘ālehu State Office Building. Agendas at hawaiicounty.gov. These meetings affect the temporary location of the Nā‘ālehu Public Library
Why Hawaiian Honey May Be the Best on Earth, Tuesday, Oct. 15, 7p.m., Kīlauea Visitor Center Auditorium. Local beekeepers and representatives from the Big Island Beekeepers Association discuss the island's varieties of honey, with samples to taste. Free; park entrance fees apply. 985-6101, nps.gov/havo/
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 16
Ocean View Community Association Board of Directors Mtg., Wednesday, Oct. 16, 12:30-1:30p.m., Ocean View Community Center. 939-7033, ovcahi.org
THURSDAY, OCT. 17
Nāʻālehu School Family Reading Night, Thursday, Oct. 17, Ocean View Community Center. 6-7p.m. Family reading, make & take activities, and snacks provided. Free. 939-7033, ovcahi.org
Forest Restoration Project, Friday, Oct. 18, 8:30a.m.-3p.m., HVNP. 12+; under 18 require adult co-signature. Pre-registration required - include first and last names, email address, and phone number of each participant. Organized by Friends of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Patty Kupchak, 352-1402, forest@fhvnp.org, fhvnp.org
Cultural Understanding Through Art & the Environment: Guided Cultural Tour of the Ni‘aulani Forest, Friday, Oct. 18, 9:30-11a.m., Volcano Art Center. Kumu Hula Ryan McCormack leads. Tour focuses on Hawaiian protocol, traditional chants, history, and lifeways, as they relate to the native forest ecosystem. Free; open to public. Spaced is limited, reservations suggested. 967-8222, volcanoartcenter.org
Dances of Universal Peace, Friday, Oct. 18, 6-7:30p.m., Methodist Church hall, across from Nā‘ālehu Post Office. Fun, easy to learn dances from many traditions evoking peace. Donations welcome. No registration necessary. 939-9461, hualaniom2@yahoo.com
SATURDAY, OCT. 19
SATURDAY, OCT. 19
Free Haircut Day, Saturday, Oct. 19, 9a.m.-1p.m., St. Jude's Episcopal Church. Kady and Drew Foster. 12 slots available. Also, Free Shower Day and The Big Island Giving Tree to hand out clothes and various items like razors and toothbrushes. 939-7000, stjudeshawaii.org
Birth of Kahuku, Saturday, Oct. 19, 9:30-11:30a.m., Kahuku Unit, HVNP. Free, easy-to-moderate hike. nps.gov/havo/
Ocean View C.E.R.T. Mtg., Saturday, Oct. 19, 10a.m.-1p.m., Ocean View Community Center. Community Emergency Response Team monthly meeting and training. 939-7033, ovcahi.org
Nā Mea Hula with Loke Kamanu and ‘ohana, Saturday, Oct. 19, 11a.m.-1p.m., Volcano Art Center Gallery porch. Hands-on cultural demonstration. Free; park entrance fees apply. 967-8222, volcanohula@gmail.com, volcanoartcenter.org
Ka‘ū Skate Club Fundraiser for Kahuku Roller Rink in Ocean View: Dave Lawrence & Green Machines Concert, Saturday, Oct. 19, 4p.m., Tiki Mama's, Ocean View. Suggested donation of $15 per person for Ka‘ū Skate Club, plus one can of food for Hawai‘i Island Food Bank. Ka‘ū Skate Club President Lzena Barrett, 747-1147
Oktoberfest, Saturday, Oct. 19, live music, pretzels and beer from 4p.m., dinner served 5-7p.m., Cooper Center, Volcano Village. Brats, sauerkraut, German potato salad and more. Bring Cooper Center mug for $1 off beer; purchase one for $10. 967-7800, thecoopercenter.org
Pupule Papales Band performance, Saturday, Oct. 19, 7-10p.m., Kīlauea Military Camp's Lava Lounge, in HVNP. Open to eligible patrons; certain Terms of Service. Free; park entrance fees apply. kilaueamilitarycamp.com
ONGOING
Help Shape Hawaiʻi Island at upcoming SpeakOuts and workshops on the General Plan. The community is encouraged to "come share your manaʻo," opinion. SpeakOut meetings will be held in Kona, Tuesday, Oct. 15, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., West Hawaiʻi Civic Center Liquor Commission Boardroom; Capt. Cook, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., Pukaʻana United Church of Christ; and Waikaloa, Thursday, Oct. 24, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. , Waikoloa Elementary & Middle School.
Topic Workshops will be held in Kona at West Hawaiʻi Civic Center Council Chambers on Saturday, Oct. 19 on Infrastructure from9 a.m. to noon and Natural Resources from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m ; and Hilo at County of Hawaiʻi Office of Aging on Saturday, Oct. 26, on Infrastructure from 9 a.m. to noon and Natural Resources from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Submit feedback online by Thursday, Oct. 31. See more Info on the Draft General Plan at hiplanningdept.com/general-plan/.Topic Workshops will be held in Kona at West Hawaiʻi Civic Center Council Chambers on Saturday, Oct. 19 on Infrastructure from
Trunk or Treat at Kaʻū District Gym will be held Thursday, Oct. 31, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Organized by Kaʻū High and Pāhala Elementary school, the free event offers a haunted house, healthy recipes, a family-friendly atmosphere, and Trunk or Treat, where keiki and youth go from parked car to car, asking for treats.
For those interested in participating in Trunk or Treat, distributing goodies, prizes will be awarded for the best decorated car: Most Beautiful, Most Original, Spookiest, and a special awards for teachers or staff who decorate; decoration not required. Contact Nona at 928-3102 or Angie Miyashiro at 313-4100.
Hoʻokupu Hula No Kaʻū Cultural Festival Booths can be reserved. The free event on Saturday, Nov. 2, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., at Pāhala Community Center, will feature cultural practitioners and demonstrators; workshops; crafts; food; music and entertainment from artists such as Bali Hai from Mexico, Vero Cruz Folklore Dancers, taiko drummers, UH-Hilo Filipino/Samoan dancers; and hula from Mexico, Japan, Virginia, ʻOahu, and Hawaiʻi Island. Interested vendors can apply for food, craft, or information booths. Email leionalani47@hotmail.com or call 808-649-9334. See hookupukau.com.
Tiny Treasure Invitational Exhibit at Volcano Art Center 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Free; Park entrance fees apply. The exhibition also celebrates VAC's 45th anniversary, Oct. 21 .
Vendor Booth Space is Available for the Kamahalo Craft Fair. The 12th annual event will be held Thanksgiving weekend, Friday, Nov. 29, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. , and Saturday, Nov. 30, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Cooper Center. Booths are open for crafters with quality homemade and homegrown products. Food vendors must prepare all food items in a certified kitchen and must have a Department of Health permit displayed prominently at their booth. Application online at thecoopercenter.org. Direct questions to 936-9705 or kilaueatutu@gmail.com.
King Cab 2016 Nissan Frontier for Sale Holy Rosary Church Heart Church 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. at 928-8208.
Tūtū & Me Home Visiting Program is a free service to Pāhala families with keiki, birth to five years old. This caregiver support program offers those taking care of young keiki "a compassionate listening ear, helpful parenting tips and strategies, fun and exciting activities, and wonderful educational resources" from Tūtū & Me Traveling Preschool. Home visits are one hour in length, two to four times per month, for 12 to 15 visits. Snacks are provided. See pidfoundation.org or call Tata Compehos and Melody Espejo at 808-938-1088.
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