The major purpose of the Estase cruise has been the coring of the high sedimentation rate sediment, along the continental slope of Japan (Estase I 03 09 84 to 17 09 84) and Philippine islands (Estase II 14 11 84 to 08 12 84), in the north-west Pacific Ocean. Two main scientific objectives were involved in this operation: High resolution paleoclimatology and paleoceanography of the eastern side of the Asian continent, by micropaleontological and isotopic studies of fossil foraminifera, and palynology of the wind and river transported pollens from the continent, and a detailed study of the paleovolcanism, by tephrochronology.