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Wind may be driving the melting of East Antarctica’s largest glacier

If all of Totten Glacier’s ice slid into the ocean, global sea level would rise by at least 3.5 meters

the Totten ice shelf

MELT ZONE  The Totten ice shelf (shown here) holds back a massive glacier, which drains a France-sized portion of East Antarctica and could raise sea levels by at least 3.5 meters if it slides into the sea.

Jamin Greenbaum/The University of Texas Institute for Geophysics

By Carolyn Gramling

- More than 2 years ago

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The wind is helping to awaken one of Antarctica’s sleeping giants.