Lut desert
Lut Desert, is a large salt desert in southeastern Kerman Iran and is the world's 25th largest desert. The surface of the sand there has been measured at
temperatures as high as 70.7°C (159°F), and it is one of the world's driest
places. Measurements of MODIS (Moderate-Resolution
Imaging Spectroradiometer) installed
on NASA's satellite "Aqua" from 2003 to 2005 testify that the hottest land
surface on Earth is located in Dasht-e Lut and land surface temperatures reach
here 70.7 °C (159.3 °F), though the air temperature is cooler. Precision
of measurements is 0.5 K to 1 K. The hottest part of Dasht-e Lut is
Gandom Beryan, a large plateau covered in dark lava, approximately 480 square
kilometeres (190 sq mi) in area. According to a local legend, the name
(in translation from Persian — "Toasted
wheat") originates from an accident where a load of wheat was left in the
desert and was eventually scorched by the heat in a few days.
Nebka the wonderful phenomena of Lut desert
20 km from Shahdad, shrubs of “Gaz” are found
in vase-like shapes in the desert, in a phenomenon called “Nebka”. Nebka
usually appear on a desert surface which contains an average amount of sand or
gravel with high level of underground water. The shape of the Nebka depends on
the size, aggregation, and growth rate of the host plant. In the Lut desert, “Rebdou”
can also be found. A Rebdou is bigger than a Nebka and more complicated in
shape, sometimes consisting of several vase-like dunes together. The highest
Rebdous are mostly found in Western Lut and can be up to 12 m in height.
