The lowest thunderstorm in North America! Caught a thunderstorm at the Badwater Basin in Death Valley. At 282 feet below sea level, it’s noted as the lowest point in North America. Shot July 6, 2013 – 7:12 a.m.
Death Valley’s Badwater Basin is indeed North America’s point of the lowest elevation. Interestingly, it’s just 84.6 miles (136.2 km) east-southeast of Mount Whitney, the highest point in the contiguous United States with an elevation of 14,505 feet (4,421 m). Located in eastern California in the Mojave Desert, Death Valley itself is the lowest, hottest and driest part of North America.
Deborah Byrd created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. Prior to that, she had worked for the University of Texas McDonald Observatory since 1976, and created and produced their Star Date radio series. Today, she serves as Editor-in-Chief of this website. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named 3505 Byrd in her honor. In 2020, she won the Education Prize from the American Astronomical Society, the largest organization of professional astronomers in North America. A science communicator and educator since 1976, Byrd believes in science as a force for good in the world and a vital tool for the 21st century. "Being an EarthSky editor is like hosting a big global party for cool nature-lovers," she says.
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