Kharan Desert

The western reaches of the Kharan desert stretch towards the mountains of Iranian Baluchistan and the basin of Hamun-e Mashkel. Sand dunes alternate with gravel plains and dry watercourses, while isolated hills interrupt the open ground. Runoff from the surrounding ranges gathers in inland depressions rather than reaching the sea. The Mashkel is the largest of these intermittent rivers, carrying water towards a shallow lake bed that expands after heavy rain and contracts again in dry seasons.