FAQ
What is the largest desert?
Antarctic Desert at 14.2 million km2. The Sahara at 9.2 million km2 is the largest hot desert. A desert is defined by precipitation under 250 mm/year, not temperature.
What is the hottest desert?
The Lut Desert in Iran recorded 70.7C ground temperature. Death Valley recorded 56.7C air temperature, the highest reliably measured.
What is the driest desert?
The Atacama in Chile. Some weather stations have never recorded rainfall. Parts are so dry that NASA tests Mars rovers there.
How much of Earth is desert?
About 33% of land surface is desert or dryland. This is increasing due to desertification. Over 2 billion people live in dryland areas.