Hottest Spot on Earth: Iran's Lut Desert Beats Death Valley With Temperature Reaching 80°C

Move over Death Valley, these two deserts are now the hottest spot on Earth.

For many years, East California's Death Valley was thought to be the hottest spot on the planet with temperatures reaching up to 134.1 degrees Fahrenheit (56.7 degrees Celsius) on July 10, 1913. While the average summer temperature of the valley could rise above 113 degrees Fahrenheit (45 degrees Celsius).

But a recent study reveals that the valley has been overthrown by the deserts in Iran and North America. Based on a new analysis of high-resolution satellite data, Iran's Lut Desert (Dasht-e Lut) and the Sonoran Desert along the Mexico-US border have recently been declared as the hottest spots on Earth reaching a sizzling temperature of 177.4 degrees Fahrenheit (80.8 degrees Celsius).

Hottest Land Surface Temperature

A recent study, entitled "Global Patterns of Hottest, Coldest and Extreme Diurnal Variability on Earth" published in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, explains how high-resolution satellite data from the past two decades can prove the two regions as hotter than the Death Valley.

Between the Lut Desert and the Sonoran Desert, the former is hotter which means that Lut Desert holds the crown for the world's hottest land surface temperature based on the satellite data from 2002 and 2019, The Sun reported.

According to the news outlet, the black rocks in Lut Desert tend to get the hottest, and heat is trapped by its mountains. Due to the high temperature of the area, life struggles to exist, hence it is also known as the "Plain of Emptiness" (Emptiness Plain).

Researchers believe that the actual temperature of the desert could be ten degrees hotter than was previously recorded by the NASA satellite software that helped them determine land temperatures.

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Could Climate Change Have Caused Temperatures to Soar High in Lut Desert?

Iran's Lut Desert is surrounded by mountains that trap the warm air, which makes the temperatures of the valley hotter. Researchers are not sure whether climate change has any effect on the high temperatures on the Lut Desert and the Sonoran Desert which are both warmer than Death Valley.

But researchers noted that the hottest temperatures in the two deserts were only recorded in more recent years. In addition, Science Magazine reported that Sonoran's highs coincided with La Niña, a climate condition wherein cooler surface temperatures are experienced in the central Pacific Ocean and features drier conditions.

Moreover, the magazine reported that higher temperatures are pushing desert creatures to their edge of heat tolerances. But on the other hand, David Mildrexler of the conservation organization Eastern Oregon Legacy Lands said that the data reveals an impressive cooling effect of forests that could inspire urban planners in creating greener and cooler housing environments.

Aside from identifying the hottest spot on Earth, the researchers also identified Antarctica as the coldest place on the planet with -199 degrees Fahrenheit (-110.9 degrees Celsius).