Earth ID: 10946

Hottest Place On Earth?

Story by Mike Carlowicz | Visualizations by Robert Simmon Released on May 1, 2012

Many places call themselves the hottest on Earth, but most are not serious contenders. Ground-based weather stations typically sit near civilized areas and don't reveal the full story. Satellites, however, observe the entire planet, including extreme environments where no human wants to be. By detecting land skin temperatures—which often significantly exceed air temperatures and provide a measure of how the land absorbs and re-emits solar energy—satellites can dispel myth. Scientists analyzing NASA satellite data found the hottest spot on Earth changed three times within seven years, but the characteristics of each location were the same—dry, rocky, dark-colored and remote, like the land surrounding China's Flaming Mountain, pictured above. Temperatures in these places often top out above 150 degrees Fahrenheit (65

In China's Turpan Depression, the dark sands of the Shanshan Dunes become significantly hotter than the more famous Flaming Mountain.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) lists more than 11,000 ground stations, but few sit in hot deserts such as the Sahara, Gobi and Lut.

For More Information

NASA Earth Observatory

Story Credits

Lead Visualizer/Animator:
Robert Simmon (Sigma Space Corporation)

Visualizer/Animator:
Jesse Allen (Sigma Space Corporation)

Lead Scientist:
Steven W Running (University of Montana)

Lead Writer:
Mike Carlowicz (Sigma Space Corporation)

Please give credit for this item to:
NASA Earth Observatory
Lut Desert photograph Copyright 2005 Jafar Sabouri, Geological Survey or Iran.

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Keywords:
NASA Science >> Earth
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