Why is death valley in california recorded the highest temperature?
I want the reason of it
Two of the three highest ambient surface air temperatures on Earth were recorded in Death Valley, California:
1. A temperature of 57.7°C (135.86°F) recorded at Al ‘Aziziyah, Libya, on September 13, 1922.
2. A temperature of 57.06°C (134.7°F) recorded at Furnace Creek in Death Valley, California, USA, on July 3, 2001.
3. A temperature of 56.67°C (134°F) recorded at Furnace Creek in Death Valley, California, USA, on July 10, 1913.
Death Valley frequently experiences some of the highest temperatures in the North America due to its leeward desert climate and low elevation (-86 meters). The highest temperatures in Death Valley usually occur in föhn winds. A föhn wind occurs when a deep layer of prevailing wind is forced over a mountain range (orographic lifting). As the wind moves upslope, it expands and cools, causing water vapor to precipitate out. This dehydrated air then passes over the crest and begins to move downslope. As the wind descends to lower levels on the leeward side of the mountains, the air heats as it comes under greater atmospheric pressure creating strong, gusty, dry, and hot winds.
PS – Death Valley is the lowest elevation in North America at -86 meters (-282 feet). Laguna del Carbón in Argentina has recently been identified as the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere at -105 meters (-344 feet).
California’s Death Valley had the second-highest temperature. This desert area hit 134 degrees Fahrenheit in 1913. Like the Libyan city, Death Valley is in a mid or low latitude, which gets far more direct sun than the areas above 45 degrees north or south.
Death Valley also has the lowest elevation in the Western Hemisphere, which contributes to the heat.
References :
Two of the three highest ambient surface air temperatures on Earth were recorded in Death Valley, California:
1. A temperature of 57.7°C (135.86°F) recorded at Al ‘Aziziyah, Libya, on September 13, 1922.
2. A temperature of 57.06°C (134.7°F) recorded at Furnace Creek in Death Valley, California, USA, on July 3, 2001.
3. A temperature of 56.67°C (134°F) recorded at Furnace Creek in Death Valley, California, USA, on July 10, 1913.
Death Valley frequently experiences some of the highest temperatures in the North America due to its leeward desert climate and low elevation (-86 meters). The highest temperatures in Death Valley usually occur in föhn winds. A föhn wind occurs when a deep layer of prevailing wind is forced over a mountain range (orographic lifting). As the wind moves upslope, it expands and cools, causing water vapor to precipitate out. This dehydrated air then passes over the crest and begins to move downslope. As the wind descends to lower levels on the leeward side of the mountains, the air heats as it comes under greater atmospheric pressure creating strong, gusty, dry, and hot winds.
PS – Death Valley is the lowest elevation in North America at -86 meters (-282 feet). Laguna del Carbón in Argentina has recently been identified as the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere at -105 meters (-344 feet).
References :
Death Valley at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_Valley
Death Valley National Park at http://www.nps.gov/deva/
Death Valley Weather and Climate http://www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisit/upload/Weather.pdf
Föhn Winds at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F%C3%B6hn_wind