Totten Glacier drains a major portion of which Antarctic ice sheet?

Totten Glacier drains a major portion of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet. Located in Wilkes Land, it carries ice northeastward toward the coast before turning toward the Southern Ocean.

Its drainage basin covers about 538,000 square kilometers and extends roughly 1,100 kilometers inland. The glacier also feeds the floating Totten Ice Shelf, which helps slow the flow of grounded ice into the ocean.

Totten Glacier matters because much of the nearby Aurora Subglacial Basin lies below sea level. Warm modified Circumpolar Deep Water can enter beneath the ice shelf and melt it from below, potentially accelerating inland ice loss. Scientists therefore study Totten as a major indicator of East Antarctica’s sensitivity to ocean warming.

A common mix-up is confusing the East Antarctic Ice Sheet with the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. Totten is in East Antarctica, although its behavior is also discussed alongside West Antarctic glaciers because both regions can experience marine ice-sheet instability. The glacier was named for George M. Totten, a midshipman associated with the United States Exploring Expedition.