柴达木盆地（藏文：ཚྭ་འདམ་གཤོང་，威利：tshwa vdam gshong）地处青海省西北部，阿尔金山、祁连山和昆仑山之间，东西长约800公里，南北最宽处约350公里，面积约20万平方公里，地势自西北向东南缓倾，海拔在2600至3000米之间，是中国地势最高的内陆盆地。柴达木盆地海拔高，云量少，日照时间长，常年干旱少雨，区内时常刮大风，茶卡地区的刮大风的天气最多时一年有180多天，风能十分丰富。盆地内地势平坦，有较充足的地表水和地下水可用，昼夜的温差较大，利于农作物积累养料，因而那里的农作物的产量较高。

Qaidam Basin, also spelled Tsaidam (Mongolian:Цайдам, from Standard *****an:ཚྭའི་འདམ་,"salt marsh"; simplified Chinese:柴达木盆地; traditional Chinese:柴达木盆地; pinyin:Cháidámù Péndì) is an hyperarid basin that occupies a large part of the Haixi Mongol and *****an Autonomous Prefecture in Qinghai Province, western China. The basin covers an area of approximately 120,000 km, one fourth of which is covered by saline lakes and playas. By one count, there are 27 such lakes in the basin. Around 35,000 square kilometers, or one third of the basin is desert, which is known in Chinese as Chaidamu Pendi Shamo (柴达木盆地沙漠), i.e. Qaidam Basin Desert.