Lut Desert
Iran's largest desert after Dasht-e Kavir, with extreme surface temperatures.
The Lut Desert, known in Persian as Dasht-e Lut, meaning "Plain of Emptiness," stretches across the Iranian provinces of Kerman and Sistan-Baluchestan. It ranks as the 33rd largest desert in the world and earned a spot on UNESCO's World Heritage List on July 17, 2016. Its name comes from *Lut* (bare, empty) and *dasht* (plain or flatland). The desert holds the record for the highest land surface temperature ever measured: the sand has reached 70.7 °C (159.3 °F).
Iran sits within the Afro-Asian desert belt, which runs from Mauritania to Mongolia. The country's landscape is a plateau ringed by mountains and split into drainage basins. Dasht-e Lut is one of the biggest of these basins, stretching 480 kilometers long and 320 kilometers wide, covering about 51,800 square kilometers—making it Iran's largest desert after Dasht-e Kavir. In spring, water briefly flows from the Kerman mountains but quickly evaporates, leaving behind rock, sand, and salt. The eastern part of the desert is a low plateau of salt flats, with its lowest point around 110 meters above sea level. The central region, shaped by wind, features parallel ridges and furrows that extend over 150 kilometers and rise up to 75 meters high, along with ravines and sinkholes. The southeast is a vast sandy expanse, similar to a Saharan erg, with dunes reaching 300 meters—among the tallest in the world.
Geologically, more than half of the desert's surface is covered by volcanic rocks, and evaporites appear during hot periods.
Archaeologically, the area was home to the Jiroft culture around 2500 BC. The ancient city of Shahdad stood on the western edge of the Lut, while on the eastern side lay a large, 200-hectare city now called Shahr-e Sukhteh (the Burnt City), located on the now-dry Helmand River. The Lut region is key for Iranian archaeology. A recent survey on the eastern flank of the Kerman range, near the desert's western fringes, identified 87 ancient sites dating from the fifth millennium BC to the late Islamic era, with 23 from the Chalcolithic period and Bronze Age.
Climate data show that between 2003 and 2010, NASA's Aqua satellite recorded the hottest land surface temperatures on Earth in Dasht-e Lut, hitting 70.7 °C in 2005 (air temperature then likely ranged from 30 to 54 °C). The measurements were accurate to within 0.5 to 1 K. In 2019, newer MODIS data reported a land surface temperature
- Location
- Provinces of Kerman and Sistan-Baluchestan, Iran
- Area
- About 51,800 square kilometres (20,000 sq mi)
- Length
- 480 kilometers (300 mi)
- Width
- 320 kilometers (200 mi)
- Highest recorded land surface temperatur
- 70.7 °C (159.3 °F) in 2005
- UNESCO World Heritage listing date
- 17 July 2016
- Name meaning
- 'Plain of Emptiness' (from Persian 'Lut' meaning bare/empty and 'dasht' meaning plain/flatland)
Quick Facts
- Other Name
- Dasht-e Lut
- Country
- Iran
- Elevation M
- 108
- Elevation Ft
- 354
- Length Km
- 480
- Width Km
- 320
- Area Km2
- 51800
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The Lut Desert is part of Iran's geography, which consists of a plateau surrounded by mountains and divided into drainage basins. Dasht-e Lut is one of the largest of these basins. During the spring wet season, water briefly flows from the Kerman mountains but soon dries up, leaving rocks, sand, and salt. The eastern part is a low plateau covered with salt flats, while the center has been sculpted by wind into parallel ridges and furrows extending over 150 km and reaching 75 meters in height. The southeast is a vast expanse of sand with dunes up to 300 meters high, among the tallest in the world.
Reader's Guide
The Lut Desert holds significance as the hottest land surface on Earth, with temperatures recorded by NASA's MODIS satellite reaching 70.7 °C in 2005. A 2019 study reported a land surface temperature of 80.83 °C based on newer data. The desert's climate is uncertain due to a lack of permanent weather stations, but it likely receives less than 30 mm of precipitation annually. Archaeologically, the area is important: around 2500 BC, the Jiroft culture flourished here, with the ancient city of Shahdad on the western edge and the Burnt City (Shahr-e Sukhteh) on the eastern side. A recent survey identified 87 ancient sites dating from the fifth millennium BC to the late Islamic era, including 23 from the Chalcolithic period and Bronze Age. The desert's surface is more than half covered by volcanic rocks, with evaporites visible during hot periods.
Did You Know?
- The Lut Desert's sand surface temperature reached 70.7 °C (159.3 °F) in 2005, the highest-known land surface temperature on Earth.
- The desert is 480 kilometers long and 320 kilometers wide, with an area of about 51,800 square kilometers.
- The southeast part of the desert has dunes 300 meters high, among the tallest in the world.
- The name 'Lut' means 'bare, empty' in Persian, and 'dasht' means 'plain, flatland'.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Lut Desert?
Dasht-e Lut is Iran's second-largest desert, covering roughly 51,800 square kilometres across the Kerman and Sistan-Baluchestan provinces. It stretches about 480 km long and 320 km wide, sitting squarely within the Afro-Asian desert belt that links Mauritania to Mongolia.
What are Lut Desert's powers/role?
The desert holds the record for the highest land-surface temperature ever measured, with its sand reaching 70.7 °C (159.3 °F) back in 2005. It functions as one of the most extreme arid zones on Iran's plateau, ringed by surrounding mountain ranges that trap heat and moisture.
How does Lut Desert's story end?
On 17 July 2016, UNESCO formally inscribed the site on its World Heritage List, recognizing its outstanding geological and ecological value. Today it remains an active, protected heritage zone within Iran's borders.
Why is Lut Desert important?
It ranks as the 33rd largest desert on Earth and is the biggest in Iran after Dasht-e Kavir, making it a key reference point for studying extreme arid environments. Its UNESCO designation underscores the unique landforms and the broader significance of Iran's desert ecosystems.
What's the origin of the name 'Lut Desert'?
The Persian name Dasht-e Lut translates to 'Plain of Emptiness,' with *lut* meaning bare or empty and *dasht* referring to a flatland or plain. The name essentially captures the stark, featureless character of the landscape.
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