TWP Related Links

Visiting the TWP

Nauru Island from the air.

The Tropical Western Pacific site consists of three diverse climate research facilities in Papua New Guinea, the Republic of Nauru, and Australia. Each facility has its own operating procedures and health and safety issues.

Safety First!

Before visiting any of the three TWP facilities, you must do the following:

• Submit a Site and Computer Access Request Form
• Read the Safety Plan for the facility you plan to visit:
  • TWP Site Visit Safety Procedure
  • Manus Facility Safety Plan
  • Nauru Facility Safety Plan
  • Darwin Facility Safety Plan
  • Darwin Cyclone Procedure
• U.S. travelers must participate in an ES&H briefing conducted by TWP Site Manager and Operations Manager. See the ES&H Briefing Teleconference Outline.

At each facility, you must do the following:

• Follow the directions given during the ES&H briefing.
• Check in with the facility Officer-in-Charge (OIC)/Field Safety Officers:
  • Manus - Hymson Waffi
  • Nauru - Andrew Kaierua
  • Darwin - Rex Pearson
• Follow hazard warnings posted or otherwise instructed.
• Follow all direction in the Facility Safety Plan and related procedures.
• Have explicit authorization before operating any project equipment.
• Analyze all hazards before starting work and take action to mitigate them.
• Check in with TWPO in U.S.A. every day.
• Submit a report upon the conclusion of your work and report any instrument, equipment, and configuration changes on the appropriate forms.

Facility Information

Manus

In August 1996, the ARM Program established its first climate research facility in the Tropical Western Pacific locale. The Manus facility is located at Momote Airport on Los Negros Island in Manus Province, Papua New Guinea (PNG). ARM chose Manus because of its location in the heart of the Pacific warm pool, the existence of an Integrated Sounding System operated by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the support of the PNG National Weather Service (NWS).

For more information about the Manus facility (contacts, accommodation, transportation, etc.), go to Manus Facility Information.

Nauru

The Nauru facility was established in November 1998 as the second TWP climate research station. It is situated in the Denigomodu district on Nauru Island, the Republic of Nauru, which is located in the western South Pacific, approximately 1,200 miles northeast of Papua New Guinea. ARM selected this location because it is on the eastern edge of the Pacific warm pool under La Niña conditions, which affect weather patterns in the Pacific.

For more information about the Nauru facility (contacts, accommodation, transportation, etc.), go to Nauru Facility Information.

Darwin

The third TWP climate research facility was established in April 2002 in Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia. The facility is situated adjacent to the Australian Bureau of Meteorology's (BOM) Meteorological Office near Darwin International Airport. ARM chose Darwin because it meets ARM's scientific goal, providing a unique set of climate regimes that are not seen at the other TWP facilities. Annually, Darwin experiences three distinctive climate patterns: 1) a dry continental regime from May to September; 2) a wet, monsoonal season, which sometimes involves cyclones, from December to March; and 3) a transitional period between the other two.

For more information about the Darwin facility (contacts, accommodation, transportation, etc.), go to Darwin Facility Information.

Transportation

Hotels and Community Information

Shipping and Contact Information

Before shipping items to the TWP, please fill out a TWP Site Shipping Form.