• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.389-399
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• 2016

This paper presents the explorations of hydrothermal vents located in the Marina Arc and Back Arc Basin using the deep-sea ROV Hemire. These explorations were conducted by KRISO and KIOST to demonstrate the capability of Hemire in various applications for deep-sea scientific research. The missions included the following: (1) to search the reported vents, (2) conduct visual inspections, (3) deploy/recover a sediment trap and bait traps, (4) sample sediment/water/rock, (5) measure the magnetic field at the vent site, and (6) acquire a detailed map using multi-beam sonar near the bottom. We installed three HD cameras for precise visual inspection, a high-temperature thermometer, a three-component magnetometer, and a multi-beam sonar to acquire details of the bottom contour or identify vents in the survey area. The explorations were performed in an expedition from March 23 to April 5, 2016, and the missions were successfully completed. This paper discusses the operational process, navigation, and control of Hemire, as well as the exploration results.