Located on the southern slope of the Col d'Izoard, the Casse Déserte is a true geological curiosity: the combination of dolomitic limestone and gypsum has allowed erosion to reveal imposing ochre-colored rocky peaks (known as cargneules), giving this landscape its distinctive desert-like appearance.

The Casse Déserte site is protected as it is classified as a natural monument and site in the Hautes-Alpes, by ministerial decree of June 1, 1937, in order to protect it from commercial exploitation or degradation.

Geology in detail:
The circulation of fluids within the gypsum has loaded the water with sulfates. This selenite-rich water has preferentially dissolved the dolomite within the cargneules and Triassic dolomitic limestones, resulting in the cavities that characterize the cargneules and the associated ruiniform erosion.