Dasht-e Kavir ('desert of salt-marsh'), also known as Kavir-e Namak and the Great Salt Desert, is a large desert lying in the middle of the Iranian plateau.
Dasht-e Kavir ('desert of salt-marsh'), also known as Kavir-e Namak and the Great Salt Desert, is a large desert lying in the middle of the Iranian plateau. It is about 800 km (500 mi) and 320 km (200 mi) with a total surface area of about 77,600 km2 (30,000 sq mi), making it the Earth's 23rd largest desert. The area of this desert stretches from the Alborz mountain range in the north-west to the Dasht-e Lut in the south-east and is partitioned between the Iranian provinces of Khorasan, Semnan, Tehran, Isfahan and Yazd. Dasht means 'plain' in Persian. It is named after the salt marshes ("kavirs") located there. Namak means 'salt'. The Dasht-e Kavir's climate is arid and receives little rain and snow each year. However, the surrounding mountains on all side provide plenty of runoff to create vast seasonal lakes, marshlands and playas. Temperatures can reach 50 °C (122 °F) in summer, and the average temperature in January is 22 °C (72 °F). Day and night temperatures during a year can differ up to 70 °C (158 °F). Rain usually falls in winter. The desert soil is covered with sand and pebbles; there are marshes, seasonal lakes and seasonal river beds.