The Ischigualasto formation is exposed in the Ischigualasto Provincial Park of La Rioja and San Juan Provinces, while in the neighboring Talampaya National Park, the formation is thick and covered by recent sediments.
The landscape is the result of erosion by water and wind in a desert climate, with large ranges in temperature - high heat by day and low temperature at night, with torrential rain in summer and strong wind in spring. Ischigualasto Provincial Park (Spanish: Parque Provincial Ischigualasto), also called Valle de la Luna ("Valley of the Moon" or "Moon Valley"), due to its moon like appearance, is a provincial protected area in the north-east of San Juan Province, north-western Argentina, limiting to the north with the Talampaya National Park, in La Rioja Province. Both areas belong to the same geological formation, the Ischigualasto Formation (sometimes Ischigualasto-Talampaya Formation) Established on 3 November 1971, the park has an area of 60,370 ha (603.7 km; 233.1 sq mi) 
