About Lut Desert: Satellites measure the GROUND temperature, and the Lut's is the hottest on Earth. Its dark surface drinks up sunlight and roasts in the cloudless sky. Huge ridges shaped by the wind stretch for miles across the desert. It is so hot and dry that almost nothing can live there

Location: Southeastern Iran · Country: Iran · Record: Its ground reached about 70.7°C (159°F) by satellite the hottest land surface measured · Why So Hot: Dark sand and rock soak up the fierce sun with no clouds or water to cool it · Nature: Giant wind-carved sand ridges called 'yardangs' · Protection: A UNESCO World Heritage Site · Also Called: Known in Persian as Dasht-e Lut · World Rank: Has the hottest land-surface temperature ever recorded