When you purchase through links on our web site , we may earn an affiliate commission . Here ’s how it work out .
Where is it?Lut Desert , Iran [ 30.42887793 , 58.92226083 ]
What ’s in the photo?Otherworldly ridges alongside a mystifying shadowy patch
A series of parallel ridges, known as yardangs (left), and a patch of lofty sand dunes (right) sit side by side at the heart of the Lut Desert in Iran.
Which artificial satellite make the photo?European Space Agency ’s Envisat
When was it taken?April 2 , 2012
This striking put on - color icon show up massive wind - chip at ridges and a " shadowed " patch of guts dunes at the heart of Iran ’s Lut Desert — one of the most uttermost environments on Earth .
Close-up images of the yardangs, captured by Korea’s Kompsat-2 satellite on Nov. 4, 2011, show how they are carved from the ground by wind.
The Lut Desert pass over more than 7,000 substantial miles ( 18,000 solid kilometer ) in southeasterly Iran . It is a salt desert , meaning its Amandine Aurore Lucie Dupin hold a mixture of salts and other mineral leftover from an ancient lake , and contain almost no water or vegetation . The desert ’s Persian name , Dasht - e Lūt , have in mind " emptiness plain . "
The neighborhood is often called the " hot place on Earth , " but this is open to interpretation . The highest air temperature on Earth within the last century — 130 degrees Fahrenheit ( 54.4 degrees Celsius ) — was memorialize atFurnace Creek Ranch in California ’s Death Valley in 2020 . But , the earth aerofoil temperature of the Lut Desert contact a maximum of 177.4 F ( 80.8 C ) in 2018 , which is a joint platter share with Mexico ’s Sonoran Desert , according toNASA . The Baroness Dudevant get so hot in the Lut Desert partially because of prominent , dark patches of ancient lava that cover the surface and lie down just below the sand .
The artificial satellite epitome above shows two geological features : an area of parallel ridgepole , lie with as yardangs , on the left field ; and a giant , dim while of sand dune on the right . The photo was take using the solar reflective spiritual range — a mix of ultraviolet , seeable light and infrared — which has made these features come out dour purple . When view from above with seeable light only , these features are much less distinguishable from their surroundings , as more recent images fromNASA ’s Terra satelliteshow .
bear on : See all the skillful images of Earth from blank
Yardangs are tall ridge carved from the bedrock of a desert by millennia of steer blasting . The ridges are particularly interesting because they are some of the best examples of this feature anywhere in the world , according toUNESCO . They are around 25 land mile ( 40 kilometers ) long and stand around 500 infantry ( 150 meter ) above the surrounding region .
The Lut Desert is also home to some of the world ’s tall gumption dunes , which are up to 1,500 feet ( 460 m ) high , according toNASA ’s Earth Observatory . However , the dune in the image only reach up to 1,000 feet ( 300 MiB ) tall .
The hotness and dryness of the Lut Desert make it about whole inhospitable to life , or an abiotic environment . However , there is a little , shallow body of water scads of mile to the NE of the dunes , which does enable some metal money to survive in this harsh landscape painting , according to theEuropean Space Agency(ESA ) .
— Near - lifeless ' Land of Terror ' looks like an alien landscape painting in the Sahara
— Trio of multicolor lakes look otherworldly in Africa ’s Great Rift Valley
— bulwark of daze gets trap behind mountains near ' can of Solomon ' in Pakistan
But away from this water source , there are potential some truly barren field in the Lut Desert where even bug can not survive . " Some report arrogate that research groups brought sterilize milk to the desert and left it uncovered in the shade , but the milk remained sterile,“ESA congresswoman wrote . However , there is no record of this research online .
The area is prone totectonic activitydue to several shift lines that run below Iran and impart to the area ’s ast volcanic activity . In 2003 , a 6.6 - magnitude earthquake sway the country , and the epicentre was around 100 miles ( 160 km ) to the south of the dunes and yardangs in the image , agree to the ESA .
