Bathymetry has a significant influence on the paths of oceanic currents and, hence, the transport of sediments. Oceanic plateaus, ridges and transform faults generate characteristic flow patterns that are documented in the sedimentary features.

The major aim of this research is the reconstruction of depositional and re-depositional processes from observed sediment structures. Specifically, information on palaeocurrents shall be deduced from these observations. This information comprises current velocity and direction, the epoch when the current was active, and its duration. This will lead to a better understanding of the processes responsible for sediment transport and erosion. In order to achieve this aim, both the build-up and the generation of the internal structure and morphology of sedimentary features, e.g., drift bodies, need to be understood.

In order to gather information on the evolution of a sediment drift from its observed present day structure, the focus is put on two equally important approaches:

1. the development of a forward modelling procedure, which will enable the modelling of sediment transport, erosion and deposition by oceanic currents, and
2. the development of a 3D-framework of sedimentological (available from three sites of ODP Leg 177) and geophysical parameters (a set of eight high resolution seismic lines) of a known sediment structure or drift as input for the forward modelling procedure.