What is Earth's Coldest and Warmest Temperature?

Weather extremes have been recorded for at least 100 years around the world. While older methods were not accurate and can open the door for debate, anything measured for the past 80 years is considered quite precise. When it comes to measuring the coldest and hottest temperatures on Earth, a number of tools are used, including thermometers, infrared radiators, liquid expansion devices and direct observation.

Features

The coldest and warmest temperatures recorded are unlikely to be true records. This is because the chances that a thermometer was placed at the exact point where the temperature reached a new high or low is rather small. For example, Dakol in Ethiopia has the highest average temperature in the world (94F), so chances are the record has been broken there. However, because there are no constant control, nothing has ever been recorded there. The same is true in Siberia, where average winter temperatures are around -60F (-51C) and are likely to have reached record lows at some point.

Significance

The actual coldest place on Earth is Vostok, Antarctica, where temperatures of -129 Fahrenheit (-89 Celsius) were measured in July 1983. Vostok is a Russian research station on the southeast of the Antartic territory. Established in 1957, the station has broken the cold record at least a few times, including an unconfirmed low of -137F in 1997. Temperatures of ∧85 F (∧65 C) are normal during winter. The hottest place on Earth is, no surprisingly, a dessert. Both the area around Al Aziziyah, Libya, and Death Valley in California, have recorded temperatures of over 134F (56.7C).

Geography

While both the coldest and hottest places on Earth are not actually inhabited, some cities have been known for being rather close to the records. A good example is Oymyakon, in Russia. A town of just 900 people located in the eastern part of Siberia, it has recorded low tempetatures of ∧96.2 F (∧71.2 C). Life here is determined by temperature, as the ground is permanently frozen and there is no running water (pipes would freeze) and no outdoor entertainment venues. The warmest place on Earth is the city of Al Aziziyah, Libya, where a temperature of 136 F (57.8 C ) was recorded in September 1922. Al Aziziyah is a major trade center near the Mediterranean Sea.

Function

Surprisingly, records related to snowfall, windchill and other factors are usually not broken at the same place where the highest and lowest temperatures have been recorded. For example, the highest snowfall in history happened in Mount Rainier, Washington State in 1971, when 1224 inches in a period of 24 hours. The fastest temperature drop and rise also happened in the US (South Dakota) where temperatures were recorded to 47F (26C) in less than 15 minutes and raised 49F (27C) in under two minutes.

Considerations

When it comes to record temperatures, there are many factors that can affect how high or low a place gets. One of them is wind, which can lower the windchill factor of a place but also prevents an area from concentrating enough cold air in a single place to actually break any record temperatures. This means that places without wind are more likely to be colder (in real temperature degrees) than places where wind blows. The position of a place regarding sea level is also important, as areas get hotter as they get lower.