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Story summary
- National Institute of Polar Research (NIPR) and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) reported a low extent of 13.76 million km² on 13 March 2026.
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) measured 14.29 million km² on 15 March, a gap from Japan’s figure reflecting processing differences.
- The 2026 extent was 1.3 million km² below 1981-2010 average, a decline linked to temperatures in Sea of Okhotsk and Baffin Bay–Labrador Sea.
