June 15, 2023 - Dasht-e Lut, Iran

Lut
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The arid expanse of southeastern Iran contains a rich variety of
spectacular desert landforms, and the Dasht-e Lut (Lut Desert) is one
of the most breathtaking. In the Persian language, the word “Lut” is
used to describe extremely dry, bare land that is devoid of
vegetation—an apt description of this hyper-arid and searingly hot
region. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on
board NASA’s Terra satellite acquired a true-color image of the rich
colors and contours of the Dasht-e Lut on June 14, 2023.

The formations found in the Dasht-e Lut are so unique that it was
inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2016. One striking feature
is a field of yardangs—massive and dramatic folds that stretch across
the desert, with ridges and corridors oriented parallel to the dominant
prevailing winds. These sit in the western side of Dasht-e Lut and have
been essentially “sand blasted” into existence from sand-filled,
relentless winds whip across the desert every year between June and
October.

In the east, the Dasht-e Lut is filled with a huge sand sea (erg),
which appears in this image as a tan area filled with long rippling
lines. These actively moving dunes, which are slowly blown by the wind,
can reach heights of 475 meters (1,558 feet). Not only are these among
the largest dunes in the world, but they also take a variety of forms:
linear, compound crescentic, star, and funnel shaped. Where a few
plants survive in the slightly moist edges of the dune field, the sand
piles into nebkhas, which are basically hummock-like dunes that form
around vegetation.

Image Facts
Satellite: Terra
Date Acquired: 6/14/2023
Resolutions: 1km (92.8 KB), 500m (249.8 KB), 250m (522.3
KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit: MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC



https://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/individual.php?db_date=2023-06-15

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