Freshwater geographies: Experimenting with knowing and doing geography differently

The fair and effective governance of freshwater is an increasingly prominent issue in New Zealand. Emerging from a complex of cultural, economic and biophysical narratives, freshwater geographies are multiple, varied and increasingly acknowledged as worthy of interdisciplinary scrutiny. In this commentary, we reflect on a series of generative spaces that we – as group of postgraduate geographers (plus supporting staff) – created to engage with the multiplicity of freshwater meanings both within and beyond the academy. Through this evolving epistemic‐political project, we significantly reframed our own understandings about what freshwater ‘is’ and how it ought to be governed. By pursuing a deeper understanding of how the world gets made, we expand our ability to know and make it differently.     

Liquidus Equilibria in the System K2O-Na2O-Al2O3-SiO2-F2O-1-H2O to 100 MPa: II. Differentiation Paths of Fluorosilicic Magmas in Hydrous Systems

We investigated phase equilibria in the six-component systemNa₂O–K₂O–Al₂O₃–SiO₂–F₂O_–1–H₂Oat 100 MPa to characterize differentiation paths of naturalfluorine-bearing granitic and rhyolitic magmas. Topaz and cryoliteare stable saturating solid phases in calcium-poor systems.At 100 MPa the maximum solidus depression and fluorine solubilityin evolving silicic melts are controlled by the eutectics haplogranite–cryolite–H₂Oat 640°C and 4 wt % F, and haplogranite–topaz–H₂Oat 640°C and 2 wt % F. Topaz and cryolite form a binaryperalkaline eutectic at 660°C, 100 MPa and fluid saturation.The low-temperature nature of this invariant point causes displacementof multiphase eutectics with quartz and alkali feldspar towardsthe topaz–cryolite join and enables the silicate liquidusand cotectic surfaces to extend to very high fluorine concentrations(more than 30 wt % F) for weakly peraluminous and subaluminouscompositions. The differentiation of fluorine-bearing magmasfollows two distinct paths of fluorine behavior, depending onwhether additional minerals buffer the alkali/alumina ratioin the melt. In systems with micas or aluminosilicates thatbuffer the activity of alumina, magmatic crystallization willreach either topaz or cryolite saturation and the system solidifiesat low fluorine concentration. In leucogranitic suites precipitatingquartz and feldspar only, the liquid line of descent will reachtopaz or cryolite but fluorine will continue to increase untilthe quaternary eutectic with two fluorine-bearing solid phasesis reached at 540°C, 100 MPa and aqueous-fluid saturation.The maximum water solubility in the haplogranitic melts increaseswith the fluorine content and reaches 12· 5 ±0· 5 wt % H₂O at the quartz–cryolite–topazeutectic composition. A continuous transition between hydrousfluorosilicate melts and solute-rich aqueous fluids is not documentedby this study. Our experimental results are applicable to leucocraticfluorosilicic magmas. In multicomponent systems, however, thepresence of calcium may severely limit enrichment of fluorineby crystallization of fluorite. KEY WORDS: granite; rhyolite; topaz; cryolite; magmatic differentiation     

Increase in Dissolved Silica of Rivers Due to a Volcanic Eruption in an Estuarine Bay (Sorsogon Bay,Philippines)

Mount Bulusan, the Philippines’ fourth most active volcano, erupted in February 21, 2011, sending volcanic ash and pyroclastic materials to its surrounding rivers. The waters drained into the estuary of harmful algal blooms plagued Sorsogon Bay. We aim to determine the impact of the 2011 volcanic eruption and the preceding volcanic ash emissions to the dissolved silica concentration of rivers draining the flanks of Mt. Bulusan and its possible implications to the phytoplankton assemblage of the bay. Six river water sampling periods from August 2010 to October 2012 overlapped with Mt. Bulusan’s active phase of volcanism. Our data shows that mean river silica from pre-eruption levels of ~?500 μM increased by more than 200% during and post-eruption. Highest Si concentration of 2270 μM was measured from Cadacan River in August 2011. Here, we argue that the sustained general increase of dissolved silica is due to the silica-containing materials from Mt. Bulusan’s eruption and that their concentration in river waters is also a function of watershed lithology and precipitation. Increase in dissolved silica and other nutrients caused a shift to diatom domination and, possibly, termination of Pyrodinium bahamense var. compressum blooms. Silica load increase in embayments is a natural process that controls the dominance of algae. Our study also highlights the importance of Philippine rivers to the global ocean silica budget as a function of high precipitation, tectonics in general, and volcanism in particular.