Why is death Valley in California "The hottest place on earth"?

Question

We thought other deserts like the Sahara were hotter?

Answer 1

It isn't the hottest place on Earth.

"The hottest place on Earth as of 2005 is in the Lut Desert in Iran at 70.7 degrees Celsius (159.3 degrees Fahrenheit). This inviting region is abiotic - meaning without life; not even bacteria have been found. The specific hot zone, covering 480 square kilometers is called Gandom Beriyan (the toasted wheat). The high temperatures are party as a result of the dried, black lava rock which absorbs the heat of the desert sun - kind of like walking across a 480 kilometer bed of coals! Kilometers and kilometers of mountains and sand fill corridors between high ridges of rock and 150 meter tall sand dunes.

Coming in at a distant second for hottest place on Earth is Death Valley in California, reaching up to 56.6 degrees Celsius on occasion. El Azizia in Northern Africa reached a blistering 66 degrees Celsius in 1922."

Previous hottest temperature:

"The Hottest Place on Earth ever recorded was El Azizia in Libya where the temperature reached a scorching 136 degrees Fahrenheit (57.8 Celsius) on Sept. 13, 1922 -- the hottest ever measured.

Previous 2nd hottest:

The second hottest place recorded on earth was in Death Valley, California, USA, where it got up to 134 Fahrenheit (57.8 Celsius) on July 10, 1913.

The hottest average temperature:

Dallol, Ethiopia, is the warmest place on earth with an average yearly ambient surface air temperature of 307.55 kelvin (34.4°C = 93.92°F)."