Model studies of the ionosphere of Mars under daytime conditions reveal that for solar zenith angles (SZAs) of 0°-40°, the shapes and magnitudes of the electron density profiles N e (h) change by only small amounts. This suggests that mid-day observations made by MAVEN instruments along slanted orbit segments can be used to represent vertical profiles. The total electron content (TEC), defined as the height integral of N e (h), is a measure of the cold plasma reservoir of the martian ionosphere. During MAVEN's Deep-Dip-#2 campaign of April 2015, observations of total ion density by NGIMS and electron density by LPW from periapse (~130 km) to 400 km were used to form topside—validated by independent diagnostics and models. Orbit-by-orbit changes in topside TEC were then used to assess the magnitudes of plasma escape associated with both large and small changes in the topside slope of N e (h)—called an “ionopause episode.” The TEC changes due to these episodes, generalized to a global change, resulted in an escape flux of ~3 - 6 x 10 24 ions/sec, an escape rate consistent with prior observation by Phobos-2, Mars Express, and MAVEN's own in-situ studies.