It is possible to "stretch" a liquid and, when suitably prepared, liquids are capable of sustaining substantial levels of tension, often for significant periods of time. These negative pressure states are metastable but can last for days - long enough for substantial experimental investigation. This volume is a review of recent and current research into the behaviour of liquids under negative pressure. Part I deals with the thermodynamics of stretched liquids. Part II discusses the physical and chemical behaviour of liquids under negative pressure. Part III contains papers on the effect of negative pressure on the solidification of a liquid. Part IV is devoted to stretched helium and Part V discusses cavitation in various stretched liquids. Part VI deals with the effect of foreign substances on cavitation.

The Ninth International Conference on Basement Tectonics was held at the Australian National University in Canberra 2-6 July 1990. The opening keynote address was given by Prof. R.W.R. Rutland, Director of the Bureau of Mineral Resources. Other keynote speakers were E.S.T. O'Driscoll, an Australian consultant, and Prof P. Bankwitz, Central Institute for Physics of the Earth, Potsdam, GDR. Technical sessions were arranged by session conveners on the following five topic- i) The structure of the Australian craton and cover basins; ii) Basement structure of continental regions; iii) Structural patterns and mineral deposits; iv) Techniques for analysing basement structures; v) Structural patterns in oceanic crust. The arrangement of papers for this Proceedings Volume has been simplified. Part 1 deals with Australia, Part 2 with other areas and Part 3 lists the titles of all the papers read at the conference. Abstracts of these papers are available in Geological Society of Australia Abstracts No 26 and may be purchased for $AI0 from the Geological Society of Australia Office, ANA House, 301 George Street, Sydney NSW 2000. Field trips to view aspects of the Lachlan Fold Belt and the Sydney Basin were assisted by H.J. Harrington, D. Branagan, D. Wyborn, B. Drummond and M.J. Rick~d. A longer field trip, aborted through low enrolments, was organized by H.J. Harrington with assistance from W. Preiss, N. Cook, R. Glenn, A. Grady, and P. James; this assistance is gratefully acknowledged.

It is possible to "stretch" a liquid and, when suitably prepared, liquids are capable of sustaining substantial levels of tension, often for significant periods of time. These negative pressure states are metastable but can last for days - long enough for substantial experimental investigation. This volume is a review of recent and current research into the behaviour of liquids under negative pressure. Part I deals with the thermodynamics of stretched liquids. Part II discusses the physical and chemical behaviour of liquids under negative pressure. Part III contains papers on the effect of negative pressure on the solidification of a liquid. Part IV is devoted to stretched helium and Part V discusses cavitation in various stretched liquids. Part VI deals with the effect of foreign substances on cavitation.