Dasht-e Kavir ( in classical Persian, from khwar (low), and dasht (plain, flatland)) or the Kavir Desert, also known as Kavir-e Namak or the Great Salt Desert, is a large desert lying in the middle of the Iranian Plateau. It is about 800 km long by 320 km wide with a total surface area of about 77600 sqkm, making it the world's 24th largest desert. The desert stretches from the Alborz mountain range in the north-west to the Dasht-e Lut in the south-east. It is spread across the Iranian provinces of Khorasan, Semnan, Tehran, Isfahan and Yazd.

Features

In the center of the desert lies the salt marshes of Kavir Buzurg (Great Kavir), which is about 320 km long and 160 km wide. In the western part of the desert lies the Daryahcheh-e Namak ("salt lake"), 1800 sqkm. It contains some large salt plates in a mosaic-like shape. It is part of a 4000 sqkm protected ecological zone, the Kavir National Park.

Climate and structure

Dasht-e Kavir has an arid climate with little precipitation. However, there is usually some rainfall in winter, as well as the mountains that surround it, provide plenty of runoff—enough to create vast seasonal lakes, marshlands and playas. Daytime and nighttime temperatures can vary by as much as 70 C-change over the course of a year. The weather can get quite cold during the nighttime in winter, routinely dropping to below 0 C in some areas. The desert soil is covered with sand and pebbles; there are marshes, seasonal lakes and seasonal river beds. The high temperatures and low humidity cause extreme vaporization, which leaves the marshes and mud grounds with large crusts of salt.

[Map of biotopes of Iran, showing location of Dasht-e Kavir (beige oval at right center).

{{legend|#aeff2f|Forest steppe}} {{legend|#32cd32|Forests and woodlands}} {{legend|#ffc0a8|Semi-desert}} {{legend|#fff0b9|Desert lowlands}} {{legend|#c8fb98|Steppe}} {{legend|#ffffff|Salted alluvial marshes|undefined | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a9/Map///iran///biotopes///simplified-fr.png]

Post-glacial lake system

Almost 3,000 years ago, at the start of the post-glacial era, the Kavir was a series of vast lakes.

Wildlife

Vegetation in the Dasht-e Kavir is adapted to the hot and arid climate as well as to the saline soil in which it is rooted. Persian gazelles live in parts of steppe and desert areas of the central plateau. Wild sheep (Ovis orientalis), camels, wild goats (Capra aegagrus) and Persian leopards are common in mountainous areas. Night life brings on wild cats, wolves, foxes, and other carnivores.

Cultivation

The extreme heat and many storms in Dasht-e Kavir cause extensive erosion, which makes it almost impossible to cultivate the lands. The desert is almost uninhabited and knows little exploitation.