Which desert recorded the highest air temperature ever on Earth?

The Mojave Desert recorded Earth's highest officially recognized air temperature, when Furnace Creek in Death Valley reached 56.7°C (134°F) on July 10, 1913. Death Valley is a basin within the northern Mojave Desert in California.

The record was measured at what was then called Greenland Ranch, now Furnace Creek. Death Valley's extreme heat results from its very low elevation, surrounding mountain ranges, clear skies and exceptionally dry air. As air descends into the basin, it is compressed and warmed, while the surrounding mountains restrict circulation.

This fact is sometimes confused with surface-temperature records. Land surfaces in deserts can become far hotter than the air above them, but the quiz's wording specifies air temperature. The Sahara and Sonoran deserts also experience intense heat, yet the recognized global air-temperature record belongs to Furnace Creek in the Mojave region. The 1913 measurement remains listed by the World Meteorological Organization.