Dasht-e Lūt

Dasht-e Lūt, desert in southeastern Iran. Situated within a region where three mountain chains converge, the Dasht-e Lūt occupies a low-lying depression, with an average elevation of about 300 m (1,000 ft). The roughly oval-shaped basin extends about 450 km (about 280 mi) from north to south; its greatest east-to-west extent is about 190 km (about 120 mi). Its total area is estimated to be 85,500 sq km (33,000 sq mi).

The Dasht-e Lūt has several outstanding landforms. Among the most notable is a shallow salt lake about 160 km (about 100 mi) long and 24 km (15 mi) wide. This body of water is near the western edge of the basin, which is bordered on the west by the Zagros Mountains. Many peaks in this area reach higher than 3,000 m (10,000 ft). The streams coming out of these mountains replenish the lake. At only about 240 m (800 ft) elevation, the lake is the lowest point in the Dasht-e Lūt. East of this salt lake is the Shahr-e Lūt depression, which is dominated by rock formations that have been worn away by strong wind action over many centuries. From a distance, these large, heavily eroded rock formations resemble ruined buildings of a deserted town (hence the name Shahr-e Lūt, which means “city of the Lūt” in Persian). East of the Shahr-e Lūt is an area of extensive sand dunes that stretches for about 230 km (about 140 mi) and averages about 50 km (about 30 mi) in width. The loose sand of the dunes shifts constantly as a result of wind action, creating an ever-changing landscape. The Dasht-e Lūt sand dunes make up the only area of true sand desert in Iran. In addition to these features, the desert also includes several isolated peaks rising about 460 to 1,520 m (1,500 to 5,000 ft) above the floor of the basin. A number of small kavirs, or salt-encrusted land areas, are scattered throughout the Dasht-e Lūt, especially in the southern end.

The interior of the Dasht-e Lūt is an arid desert characterized by extreme heat in summer; frequent, strong local winds; blowing sand; topographic irregularity; insufficient water; and saline soil. These conditions make the greater part of the basin uninhabitable; roads do not pass through the desert but skirt along its northern and southern fringes instead. However, on the western edges of the Dasht-e Lūt, adjacent to and in the foothills of the Zagros Mountains, climatic conditions are less severe. Rainfall in the western region averages about 100 to 150 mm (4 to 6 in) annually. Most of the precipitation percolates into the ground, where it is stored in subsurface aquifers that can be tapped for irrigated agriculture. Consequently, there are many villages in the zone between the salt lake and the mountains, and one historically important oasis town in the south, Bam. Natural vegetation in this area includes wild almond and pistachio trees, and numerous varieties of spring and wildflowers. In contrast, the Kūh-e Ešger mountains, which rim the Dasht-e Lūt on the north and east, are more arid than the Zagros, and very few villages are located on their slopes. Oases occur on the eastern edge of the basin.