The Thirteenth International Conference on Basement Tectonics was held
on the campus of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in
Blacksburg, Virginia from June 2 -6, 1997. The oral presentations and
discussions over three days covered a wide range of topics, and provided
the international audience with a perspective on scientific efforts
underway around the world. The conference participants were able to
attend two separate field trips: (I) a pre-conference trip guided by
Professor Robert Hatcher of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville,
examined the Basement rocks in the North Carolina -Tennessee region of
the Appalachian Mountains, and (2) a mid-conference field trip guided by
A.K. Sinha, convener of the conference, allowed participants to examine
the complex rock associations and structures of the> 1000 m.y. old
basement rocks in Virginia. Both the field trip guidebooks and abstract
volumes were published for the conference. The meeting brought together
scientists from more than 14 countries. Their participation, and the
fiscal success of the meeting would not have been possible without the
support of the Department of Geological Sciences, the College of Arts
and Sciences (VPI&SU) and the Basement Tectonics Association. Their
support is gratefully acknowledged. As Chairman of the Organizing
Committee, I would like to thank Margie Sentelle, Jay Thomas, Peter
Welch, and Barry Robinson for the smooth operation of the conference.