It has its terminus on the east coast of the Greenland ice sheet.

This glacier was named after German geologist Wolfgang Sartorius von Waltershausen by the Second German North Polar Expedition led by Carl Koldewey that first surveyed and partially explored the Kaiser Franz Joseph Fjord in 1869–70.

Hudson Land is located east of the terminus area.

[2] The Waltershausen Nunatak is a large nunatak in the upper section of the glacier and Bartholin Land is a land area on the northern side.

[2] The Jakob Kjøde Bjerg, a large 1,850 m (6,070 ft) high nunatak, rises off the northwestern side of the head of the glacier; to the west of it flows the Adolf Hoel Glacier.