Preface 1. Introduction 2. Regional setting 2.1 Physiography 2.2 Oceanography 2.3 Geology 2.4 Sedimentology 4. Regional stratigraphic frames based on calcareous microfossils 5. Materials 6. The Ioffe Drift geomorphology and seismic stratigraphy 6.1 Bathymetry 6.2 Acoustic structure of the drift 6.3 Seismic facies as evidence for the contourite origin of the drift 7. Lithology and sedimentology 7.1. Lithostratigraphy of core sections 7.2 Grain size distribution 7.3 Geochemistry (CaCO3, TOC, XRF) 7.4 Magnetic susceptibility and color reflectance 7.5 Mineralogy 7.7 Sedimentation processes 8. Micropaleontology and stratigraphy 9.1 Planktic foraminiferal assemblages and biostratigraphic zones 9.2 Nannofossil assemblages and biostratigraphic zones 9.3 Correlation of foraminiferal and nannofossil zones in the Ioffe Drift 9.4 Correlation of foram and nannofossil zones in the Ioffe Drift and Rio Grande Rise 9. Ferromanganese nodules 10. Hiatuses and core correlations 11. The Ioffe Drift history and mechanisms of sedimentation 12. Conclusions and Perspectives References Attachment (SCAN Images) Index