Topography fundamentally influences the distribution and morphology of aeolian landforms via the modification of surface wind flow and the creation of space for sediment deposition. This has been observed at both landform (individual topographic dune forms) and macro-landscape (sand sea) scales. Although previous studies have considered several effects of topography on aeolian landforms, the patterns of landscape-scale aeolian sediment accumulation that emerge at the meso-scale, within topographically complex environments have received less consideration.

To address this, we present an approach that combines information on the presence of surficial sand (via remote sensing) with the morphometric feature classification method, LandSerf. Using the Cady Mountains in the Mojave Desert as a case study, we explore the relationships between sand cover and topographic indices over length scales of 10²–10³ m. Field observations are then used to refine our understanding of these patterns.

Aeolian deposits across the Cady Mountains are strongly controlled by the topography. Although sand cover is often continuous and highly variable in depth, four archetypal “accommodation space types” are identified from the morphometric analysis: Slopes, Plains, Valley-Fills, and Slope-Valley composite. Specific aeolian landforms within these accommodation spaces may manifest as sand ramps and climbing and falling dunes, particularly on mountain front Slopes, and sand sheets on downwind Plains within the mountain block. In areas of high sediment supply, these may also coalescence, as exemplified by the extensive and compositionally complex Slope-Valley composites in the northern Cady Mountains.

In conjunction with field observations, we argue that topography, moderated by proximity to sediment supply, strongly influences the character of the aeolian sedimentary record. However, even within the relatively complex landscape studied here, 90% of the mapped sand accumulation is associated with the four identified accommodation space types identified. The implication is that areas of such complex topography are amenable to analysis within the scheme outlined and that this can potentially be used to interpret the accompanying dune chronologies.

地形通过改变表面风流和创造沉积物沉积空间，从根本上影响风沙地貌的分布和形态。在地形（个体地形沙丘形式）和宏观景观（沙海）尺度上都可以观察到这一点。尽管先前的研究已经考虑了地形对风沙地貌的几种影响，但是在地形复杂的环境中以中观尺度出现的景观尺度风沙沉积物堆积的模式却很少受到关注。

为了解决这个问题，我们提出了一种方法，该方法将表面沙的存在信息（通过遥感）与形态特征分类方法LandSerf结合在一起。以莫哈韦沙漠中的卡迪山脉为例，我们研究了10 ² –10 ³  m长度尺度上的沙覆盖度与地形指数之间的关系。然后使用现场观察来完善我们对这些模式的理解。

整个卡迪山脉的风成矿床都受到地形的强烈控制。尽管沙土覆盖经常是连续的并且深度变化很大，但从形态分析中可以识别出四种原型“住宿空间类型”：坡度，平原，山谷填土和坡度-谷地复合物。这些居住空间内特定的风沙地貌可能表现为坡道和沙丘的上升和下降，特别是在山前斜坡上，而在该街区的顺风平原上则是沙层。在高泥沙供应的地区，这些也可能会聚结，例如北部卡迪山脉广泛且组成复杂的Slope-Valley复合材料就是例证。

结合野外观测，我们认为地形受到接近沉积物供应的影响而强烈影响了风成沉积记录的特征。但是，即使在这里研究的相对复杂的景观中，90％的沙积图也与所确定的四种已确定的住宿空间类型相关。这意味着这种复杂地形的区域适合在所概述的方案中进行分析，并且有可能被用来解释伴随的沙丘年代。