Parque Nacional Talampaya

This World Heritage site includes two adjacent protected areas between the provinces of San Juan and La Rioja in northwestern Argentina. The entire Ischigualasto and Taran Mupaya Natural Park covers an area of 275,369 hectares. Talam Mupaya National Park covers an area of 215,000 hectares and has no obvious transition zone, but the entire park is divided into four parts. The average elevation of the park is 1200 meters, and the peak elevation is 3000 meters. There are continental sediments formed from rivers, lakes and swamps throughout the Triassic period between 245 million and 208 million years ago. Fluvial sedimentation, which includes large areas of flooded plains, sediments that rise above river banks, and the alluvial flow of sediments in rivers, tells us that floods are likely due to monsoons. There are a large number of plant fossils in lakes and swamps, some of which have become coal seams, while other fossils have preserved the original shape, veins and textures of plants, which are rare in other areas. More commonly found in sediments are layers of volcanic ash, the dry land of Ischigualasto with a rugged surface known as the "Valley of the Moon". In 2000, it was included in the "World Heritage List" according to the selection criteria of cultural heritage.