Why is Death Valley the hottest place on Earth? I thought it would be somewhere on the equator.
In: Geology
Places close to the equator usually have tropical climate. That means it’s often cloud covered and there is frequent rain, which cools it down a little. The death valley is in a subtropical climate, that means there’s still a lot of sunshine, but without the clouds and rain.
The reason that the death valley is particularly hot is the same reason that places high up in the mountains are usually cold: The heat from sunshine can easily go through the atmosphere, but the air acts like a blanket for heat coming from the ground back to space. Since death valley is below sea level, there’s more air which can trap the heat inside.
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