The Ioffe Drift

Prof. Ivar Murdmaa, habilitated DSci on geology and mineralogy, Senior Researcher at Shirshov Institute of Oceanology RAS,  participant of 37 marine expeditions including 4 deep sea drilling legs. His major scientific interests include lithology, sedimentology, facies and formations of oceanic sediments, ferromanganese nodules. During the last decade, he studied the lithology and formation of contourites from the Southern and Central Atlantic. Prof. Elena Ivanova, habilitated DSci on oceanology and marine geology, Head of the Laboratory of Paleoceanology at Shirshov Institute of Oceanology RAS, participant of 22 marine expeditions and Chief scientist in 6 of them, guest scientist at several research institutes in France, UK, Germany, USA. Her major scientific interests include mechanisms on global teleconnections based on the study of high-resolution paleodata timeseries, contourite stratigraphy and bottom-water circulation in the Southern and Central Atlantic.

Introduction.- Regional setting.- Regional stratigraphic frames based on calcareous microfossils.- Materials.- The Ioffe Drift geomorphology and seismic stratigraphy.- Lithology and sedimentology.- Micropaleontology and stratigraphy.- Ferromanganese nodules.- Hiatuses and core correlations .- The Ioffe Drift history and mechanisms of sedimentation.- Conclusions and Perspectives.