https://cdn.earthdata.nasa.gov/conduit/upload/5182/KeywordsCommunityGuide_Baseline_v1_SIGNED_FINAL.pdf 23.8 2026-04-29T10:52:37.449Z https://gcmd.earthdata.nasa.gov/KeywordViewer/scheme/providers/e5549692-7a6f-4225-b814-518c3eee9bea DOD/USARMY/USACE/CHL/CERC The U.S. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station(WES), Coastal Engineering Research Center's (CERC) Field ResearchFacility (FRF) is located on the Atlantic Ocean, near the village ofDuck, North Carolina. Since 1977, the FRF has continuously collected high qualitycoastal oceanographic data in support of the U.S. Army Corps ofEngineers' coastal engineering research program. These data haveenhanced our fundamental knowledge of coastal forces such as waves,currents, water levels and the impact they have on the caostal zonethrough erosion and accretion. The FRF also hosts a wide variety ofactivities conducted by the coastal research community. Supporting these studies are a combination of a small, dedicatedand experienced staff, and unique equipment designed for working inthe surf zone where intense wave breaking makes normal operationsdifficult. Because the Duck site is representative of many coastallocations, studies conducted at the facility have provided reliablefield data to calibrate and verify analytical, numerical, and physcialmodels used in coastal engineering. The FRF occupies 712 sq km (176 acres) extending from CurrituckSound on the west, to the Atlantic Ocean. The facility consists ofoffice and field operation buildings, a multipurpose conference room, a43-m-tall (140 ft) observation tower, and a 560-m-long (1,840 ft)concrete and steel pier. The location and design of the facility wasspecifically chosen to permit studying the hurricanes and intensestorms that affect the Outer Banks. Several specialized vehiclesincluding the unique 10-m-high (35 ft) Coastal Research AmphibiousBuggy or CRAB are used for in-water work. For more information, see the FRF pages:'http://www.frf.usace.army.mil/'[This summary was derived from the FRF pages.]