Dasht - e Kavir - wikipedia Dasht - e Kavir This article is about the desert in Iran. For the North American desert, see Great Salt Lake Desert. This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( September 2017 ) Dasht - e Kavir دشت كوير Sand dunes in the Rig - e Jenn in the Dasht - e Kavir Dasht - e Kavir Length 800 km ( 500 mi ) Width 500 km ( 310 mi ) Area 77,600 km ( 30,000 sq mi ) Geography Country Iran Province Khorasan, Semnan, Tehran, Isfahan, Yazd Coordinates 34 ° 44 ′ 15.2 '' N 54 ° 49 ′ 37.56 '' E ﻿ / ﻿ 34.737556 ° N 54.8271000 ° E ﻿ / 34.737556 ; 54.8271000 Coordinates : 34 ° 44 ′ 15.2 '' N 54 ° 49 ′ 37.56 '' E ﻿ / ﻿ 34.737556 ° N 54.8271000 ° E ﻿ / 34.737556 ; 54.8271000 Dasht - e Kavir ( Persian : دشت كوير ‎, lit. ' Low Plains ' in classical Persian, from khwar ( low ), and dasht ( plain ), flatland ), also known as Kavir - e Namak ( lit. ' salty lowlands ' ) and the Great Salt Desert, is a large desert lying in the middle of the Iranian plateau. It is about 800 - kilometre - long ( 500 mi ) by 320 - kilometre - wide ( 200 mi ) with a total surface area of about 77,600 km ( 30,000 sq mi ), making it the Earth 's 26th 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. It is partitioned among the Iranian provinces of Khorasan, Semnan, Tehran, Isfahan and Yazd Contents 1 Features 2 Climate and structure 3 Post-Glacial lake system 4 Wildlife 5 Cultivation 6 See also 7 References Features In the center of the desert lies the Kavir Buzurg ( Great Kavir ), which is about 320 km long and 160 km ( 99 mi ) wide. In the western part of the desert lies the Daryahcheh - e Namak ( `` salt lake 1,800 km ( 690 sq mi ). It contains some large salt plates in a mosaic - like shape. It is part of a 4,000 km ( 1,500 sq mi ) protected ecological zone, the Kavir National Park. One of the most desolate parts of Dasht - e Kavir is the Rig - e Jenn ( '' devil 's dunes ). Climate and structure Map of biotopes of Iran, showing location of Dasht - e Kavir ( beige oval at right center ). Forest steppe Forests and woodlands Semi-desert Desert lowlands Steppe Salted alluvial marshes Dasht - e Kavir 's climate is arid ; it receives little rain or snow. However, the mountains that surround it provide plenty of runoff -- enough 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 ). Daytime and nighttime temperatures can vary by as much as 70 ° C ( 130 ° F ) over the course of a year. Rain usually falls in winter. The desert soil is covered with sand and pebbles ; there are marshes, seasonal lakes and seasonal river beds. The hot temperatures cause extreme vaporization, which leaves the marshes and mud grounds with large crusts of salt. Heavy storms frequently occur and they can cause sand hills reaching up to 40 m in height. Some parts of Dasht - e Kavir have a more steppe - like appearance. 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 : the Asian monsoon reached deep into central Iran, bringing heavy summer rain that formed numerous lakes in the closed basins of the central Iranian Plateau that today comprises the Kavir and other deserts in the area. There are inscriptions at teppeh Sialk noting that a local queen had traveled to visit the ruler of a town ( identified as Tell - i Bakun, southeast of Yazd ) by `` sailing the sea '' ! Copious shorelines at various elevations still extant in the Kavir are telltale signs of the post-glacial, monsoonal lakes in central Iran, where desert now dominates. 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. Common plant species like shrubs and grasses can only be found in some valleys and on mountain tops. The most widespread plant is mugwort. The Persian ground jay is a bird species living in some parts of the desert plateaus, along with Hairy bastards, larks and sandgrouses. Persian gazelles live in parts of steppe and desert areas of the central plateau. Wild sheep ( Ovis orientalis ), camels, goats ( Capra aegagrus ) and Persian leopards are common in mountainous areas. Night life brings on wild cats, wolves, foxes, and other carnivores. In some parts of the desert, the Persian onager ( gur in Persian ) and sometimes even the Asiatic cheetah can be seen. Lizards and snakes live in different places in the central plateau. 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. Camel and sheep breeding and agriculture are the sources of living to the few people living on its soil. Human settlement is restricted to some oases, where wind - blocking housing constructions are raised to deal with the harsh weather conditions. For irrigation, Iranians developed a sophisticated system of water - wells known as qanats. These are still in use, and modern globally used water - revenue systems are based on their techniques. See also Dasht - e Lut ( ' Desert of Emptiness ' ) Geography of Iran International rankings of Iran List of deserts by area References Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dasht - e Kavir. Jump up ^ Wright, John W., ed. ( 2006 ). The New York Times Almanac ( 2007 ed. ). New York, New York : Penguin Books. p. 456. ISBN 0 - 14 - 303820 - 6. Jump up ^ Mohammadian, H. Mammals of Iran. Shabpareh Publishing Institute. Tehran, Iran. 2005. ISBN 964 - 94487 - 9 - 9. World deserts Desert Desertification List of deserts List of deserts by area Africa Algerian Bayuda Blue Chalbi Danakil Djurab Eastern Ferlo Farafra ( White ) Kalahari Libyan Moçâmedes Namib Nubian Nyiri Owami Richtersveld Sahara Tanezrouft Ténéré Western Asia Ad - Dahna Akshi Arabian Aral Karakum Aralkum Badain Jaran Betpak - Dala Cholistan Dasht - e Kavir Dasht - e Khash Dasht - e Leili Dasht - e Loot Dasht - e Margo Dasht - e Naomid Gurbantünggüt Gobi Hami Indus Valley Judaean Karakum Katpana Kharan Kumtag Kyzylkum Lop Maranjab Muyunkum Nefud Negev Polond Ordos Qaidam Ramlat al - Sab'atayn Rub ' al Khali Russian Arctic Registan Saryesik - Atyrau Syrian Taklamakan Tengger Thal Thar Ustyurt Plateau Wahiba Sands Australia Gibson Great Sandy Great Victoria Little Sandy Nullarbor Plain Painted Pedirka Simpson Strzelecki Sturt 's Stony Tanami Tirari Europe Accona Bardenas Reales Błędów Cabo de Gata Deliblatska Peščara Hálendi Monegros Oleshky Oltenian Sahara Ryn Stranja Tabernas North America Alvord Amargosa Baja California Black Rock Carcross Carson Channeled scablands Chihuahuan Colorado Escalante Forty Mile Gran Desierto de Altar Great Basin Great Salt Lake Great Sandy Jornada del Muerto Kaʻū Lechuguilla Mojave North American Arctic Owyhee Painted Desert Red Desert Sevier Smoke Creek Sonoran Tonopah Desert Tule ( Arizona ) Tule ( Nevada ) Yp Yuha Yuma South America Atacama La Guajira Los Médanos de Coro Monte Patagonian Sechura Tatacoa Oceania Rangipo Desert Central Desert Gibson Desert Great Sandy Desert Great Victoria Desert Little Sandy Desert Simpson Desert Strzelecki Desert Tanami Desert Polar Regions Antarctica Arctic Greenland North American Arctic Russian Arctic Project Commons WorldCat Identities VIAF : 245124964 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dasht-e_Kavir&oldid=865582543 '' Categories : Deserts of Iran Physiographic sections Iranian Plateau Salt flats Geography of Yazd Province Geography of Isfahan Province Geography of Tehran Province Geography of Semnan Province Hidden categories : Articles needing additional references from September 2017 All articles needing additional references Coordinates on Wikidata Articles containing Persian - language text Wikipedia articles with VIAF identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia Azərbaycanca বাংলা Беларуская Български Català Čeština Deutsch Eesti Español Euskara فارسی Français Gàidhlig 한국어 Հայերեն Hrvatski Bahasa Indonesia Italiano ಕನ್ನಡ ქართული Кыргызча Lietuvių Magyar Монгол Nederlands 日本 語 Occitan Oʻzbekcha / ўзбекча Polski Português Română Русский Slovenščina Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Suomi Svenska Türkçe Українська 中文 31 more Edit links This page was last edited on 24 October 2018, at 20 : 24 ( UTC ). 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Question: where is the great salt desert located on a map
Answer: in the middle of the Iranian plateau