Indonesia's Anak Krakatau volcano shrinks after eruption

Dec. 29 (UPI) -- Indonesia's Anak Krakatau volcano has shrunk significantly since an eruption triggered a tsunami last week that killed more than than 400 people and injured thousands.

The volcano has lost about two-thirds of its height since it erupted Dec. 22 spurring the tsunami.

It has also lost three-quarters of its mass since the eruption.

A section of the volcano, located in the Sunda Strait separating the islands of Java and Sumatra, collapsed into the ocean after the Dec. 22 eruption, triggering the killer waves.

Indonesian officials said Saturday the volcano's cone is now about 360 feet above sea level compared to more than 1,000 feet above sea level before the collapse. The volcano has been erupting since June, but the decreased size makes the chance of another large collapse unlikely.

A day earlier, officials said the volcano had become more explosive with eruptions as frequently as every minute, and ash sent more than a mile skyward.

Scientists are uncertain what Anak Krakatau will do next, but it could erupt violently or stress on the rock could cause another collapse and landslide, spawning another tsunami.