Desert

Lut Desert

At the toe of a stunning sand dune in Lut Desert, Iran

Lut Desert

Deserts cover around a fifth of the Earth’s land surface. But only a small fraction of all deserts are covered by sand dunes (less than 20%). This photo shows my favorite dunes in Lut Desert (also known as Dasht-e Lut). ⁣ ⁣

Lut Desert

Early morning hike in the heart of Lut Desert. Nothing is more peaceful than wandering aimlessly in a desert as the sun warms the sand.

Lut Desert

Early morning hike in the heart of Lut Desert. Nothing is more peaceful than wandering aimlessly in a desert as the sun warms the sand.

Lut Desert

Walking on a parched land, seemingly full of emptiness, I spotted bird tracks (see the foreground)! Despite its harsh climate, Lut Desert seems to maintain a vibrant ecosystem. Not sure if this particular bird lived there or it was lost on the way to somewhere else (April 2017).

Lut Desert

Erg (a typical desert landform) covers about 20% of all the deserts on Earth. The main land feature of erg is sand dunes, shaped by wind. Barchan is a crescent-shaped dune with two curved arms (or legs) pointing toward the direction of the dominant wind. Seif is another type of dune with a long ridge of sand formed parallel to the direction of the prevailing wind. Here is a photo from Lut Desert (Iran) where you can find a vast stretch of different types of sand dunes. ⁣

Lut Desert

A splendid sunrise after a long walk in the dark in one of the hottest deserts on Earth: Lut Desert also known as Dasht-e-Lut.

Lut Desert

A splendid sunrise after a long walk in the dark in one of the hottest deserts on Earth: Lut Desert also known as Dasht-e-Lut.

Lut Desert

A study back in 2006 based on NASA satellite data identified the Lut Desert in Iran as the “thermal pole of the Earth” (hottest place on Earth). Since then, Lut Desert has been regarded as the hottest place on Earth with the record temperature of 70.7 C (159.3 F). In a recent study led by my good friend and colleague Dr. Azar (@marziazar), we used the latest satellite observations of land surface temperature to study the extreme temperatures and diurnal variability in Lut Desert. The results showed that Lut Desert is much hotter than previously thought with a record temperature of 80.83 C (177.5 F) in 2018 (approximately 10 C or 18 F higher than previously reported record temperature). Also, our results show that Lut Desert has an incredible diurnal variability range, up to around 71 C (~128 F). This makes Lut Desert an incredible and mysterious environment. Here is a photo from our 2017 trip to Lut Desert. ⁣

Lut Desert

I have been to many counties around the world and seen absolutely incredible landscapes, but few so breathtaking as the Reg-e-Setareh (Star Reg) in Lut Desert. This is by far my most favorite place on our planet! Here is a stunning view of endless sand dunes and Kaloots (also known as Yardangs) from the top of a sand dune some ~120m high.

Mojave Salt Flats

View of the Mojave Desert salt flats. With less than 2 inches (~ 50 mm) of rain a year, Mojave is the driest desert in North America.⁣

Snow Covered Joshua Tree

Joshua Tree National Park is a desert environment in southern California, known for its unique trees (see this photo), incredibly hot summers (up to 120 F, ~49 C) and low precipitation (5 in/year, less than 130 mm/year on average). Snowfall is quite rare, but every once in a while it snows considerably and the desert landscape transforms into a spectacular wonderland.⁣

Snow Covered Joshua Tree

Joshua Tree National Park is a desert environment in southern California, known for its unique trees (see this photo), incredibly hot summers (up to 120 F, ~49 C) and low precipitation (5 in/year, less than 130 mm/year on average). Snowfall is quite rare, but every once in a while it snows considerably and the desert landscape transforms into a spectacular wonderland.⁣

Snow Covered Joshua Tree

Joshua Tree National Park is a desert environment in southern California, known for its unique trees (see this photo), incredibly hot summers (up to 120 F, ~49 C) and low precipitation (5 in/year, less than 130 mm/year on average). Snowfall is quite rare, but every once in a while it snows considerably and the desert landscape transforms into a spectacular wonderland.⁣

Zabriskie View

Zabriskie Point, Death Valley, California.

Zabriskie Hike

Zabriskie Point, Death Valley, California.

Country Road