The Hottest Place on Earth
In a desert in Iran, satellites have measured ground temperatures of more than 70°C. Even bacteria were once thought unable to live there.
What was reported
The Lut Desert, or Dasht-e Lut, in south-eastern Iran, is one of the driest and hottest places on Earth. Satellite measurements of the ground's surface temperature have recorded more than 70°C in an area of dark lava-covered sand, among the highest ever measured.
Its landscape is otherworldly: giant ridges carved by the wind, called kaluts, look like ruined cities from a distance, and some travellers have called it a lifeless world.
Explanations offered
The heat comes from intense sunlight, dark ground that absorbs it, and almost no clouds or plants. Scientists have since found that some insects, reptiles and microbes do live there. It's a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- When
- Measured from 2005
- Where
- Lut Desert, Kerman, Iran
- Witnesses
- Satellites and scientists
- Status
- A real place
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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