More than 130 years since it was first measured, the Washington Monument has lost nearly 10 inches in height when measured recently by government surveyors, officials said.

The stone obelisk, which was completed in 1884, now stands 554 feet 711/32 inches from the official recorded height of 555 feet 51/8 inches, as measured from the floor of the main entrance to the top.

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The official height had not been changed since 1884 and had been the official height printed in books, brochures, and guides for decades.

So, did the obelisk shrink? Did it, by nature, shed some inches? Or has the Washington Monument sunk in the ground by 10 inches since it was constructed in 1884?

No, said the chief scientist at the National Geodetic Survey (NGS). Not even close.

The National Geodetic Survey (NGS), which conducted the latest measurement, explained that modern international standards from the Council of Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat call for a different base point that what was wildly used in 1880s.

Dru Smith, chief geodesist with the NGS said the Washington Monument did not change height because of anything.

"It is just where you start from," Smith stressed.

The new standard measures the obelisk from the lowest open-air pedestrian entrance to the building.

The original measurement conducted in 1884 by Lt. Col. Thomas Casey is believed to have used four brass markers as a base for measurement.

Those markers remain in place about 9 inches below ground off each corner of the monument.

"It's possible the markers were at ground level in the past. A new plaza was installed around the monument more recently, and it's clear that what was ground level has changed over the years," Smith added.

The only observable height change was the pyramid-shaped tip had been rounded off over time. Surveyors in 1934 also noticed the peak had been rounded and believed it was due to frequent lightning strikes that melted the aluminum tip.

"Well, this time around, we took very careful measurements," Smith said. "We were able to determine about three-eighths of an inch had been melted off from the very top."

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