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When Indonesia’s Anak Krakatau erupted and collapsed last weekend, triggering a deadly tsunami, it didn’t just claim the lives of more than 420 people and displace 40,000. Scientists analyzing satellite radar images have concluded that the volcano is now only around one quarter of its previous size. The crater peak is now 750 feet lower than it was before the December 22nd event.

This huge mass may have slid into the sea suddenly, displacing a significant amount of water, which would account for the 16-foot waves that crashed against the coastlines of Java and Sumatra. The risk of further collapse hasn’t been ruled out, with Indonesian authorities telling residents to keep well away from the coastline of the Sunda Strait, which separates the two provinces. However, given the volcano’s much smaller current mass, the severity of any subsequent tsunamis would be reduced. 

The Krakatau eruption of August 1883 was among the most violent volcanic events in history, producing massive tsunamis that killed some 36,000 people. Anak Krakatau—the “Child of Krakatau”—is a volcanic island that emerged from the area where Krakatau once stood, breaking the surface in 1930 and rising steadily at a rate of about 20 feet per year since.

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