Abstract: Desert geomorphic map can provide the basic information for studying deserts. The dune types were complex in the Mu Us Desert, so it was important to divide aeolian landforms in detail and compile a geomorphic map of the Mu Us Desert. The map can help us to study the causes, distribution characteristics and evolution laws of aeolian landforms. The scale of the map was determined to be 1:250 000, considering the cartographic region to be shown and the required specification of printing paper. 1:100 000 topographic maps were selected as the basic data and 1:50 000 topographic maps and 1:200 000 geologic maps were selected as supplementary. The images provided by landset-8 and Google Earth were selected as the thematic contents. The geomorphic types were classified as aeolian landforms, lacustrine landforms, fluvial landforms, arid landforms, loess landforms and others. Aeolian landforms were the key elements to be manifested in the thematic map. Legend system and hill-shading were used to show the geomorphic types according to the topographical features of the Mu Us Desert. Legend system included many representing methods, such as colours, symbols, codes, notes and so on. Using hill-shading enhanced the stereo sense on the vision and made the map more beautiful.

Key words: Mu Us Desert, aeolian geomorphology, thematic map