Danakil Depression

The Danakil Depression, near the border with Djibouti in Ethiopia, has the world's highest average temperature, with a temperature of roughly 35 degrees Celsius, about 100 meters below the earth. The Danakil Depression is a geological depression formed by the continental drift of three tectonic plates. It is one of Earth's most unusual environments. It is known as the 'hottest location on the globe', with salt lakes, lava lakes, volcanoes, and vibrant acidic springs.

The Danakil Depression contains some of the world's most intriguing geological features. The Danakil is a new ocean basin, which means it will be drowned in water millions of years from now as the continents are forced apart far enough that the Red Sea spills over into the rift, establishing a new ocean that divides the African continent in half. The active volcano Erta Ale, the kaleidoscopic landscape of the Dallol Crater, the contrasting salt lakes Karum and Afdera, and the sprawling salt pans, where local Afar people toil under the sun to export salt back to Mekele on the backs of hundreds of camels that make up the famous camel caravans that wind through the desert, are the main attractions for tourists.

Location: Danakil Depression, Djibouti