Lut Desert (Dasht-e Lut)

The Lut Desert lies in southeastern Iran. NASA describes the region as hyper-arid, with a rain shadow formed by surrounding mountains. Its varied terrain includes rocky expanses, sand seas and prominent wind-eroded formations.

Strong seasonal winds, especially from the northwest between June and October, transport sand and erode bedrock. This process creates yardangs: long, corrugated ridges aligned with prevailing winds. UNESCO identifies the Lut as an exceptional example of continuing geological processes, with notable yardangs, stony deserts and dune fields. Research on the Lut's kaluts also describes their formation through interacting water and wind processes in former lake sediments.

UNESCO inscribed the Lut Desert on the World Heritage List in 2016 for its natural values. Satellite observations also show exceptional land-surface heat: a NASA account of an 18-year MODIS analysis reports a maximum of 80.8°C in both the Lut and Sonoran deserts. This is a measurement of ground-surface temperature, not air temperature, and should not be confused with a standard weather-station air-temperature record.