Dean Ellis (1920 - 2009) "History of the Marshall Islands Undersea Volcano" Titled lower margin. Tempera on Masonite. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting was originally published on the Republic of the Marshall Islands 55c Undersea Eruptions Form Island Bases stamp issued May 2, 1996. The Marshall Islands is part of the so-called "ring of fire" that circumscribes the Pacific Ocean. This area is believed to have been associated with volcanic and seismic activity since the Mesozoic Era, approximately 200 million years ago. Volcanic eruptions acquire their explosive force when magma -- a white-hot viscous fluid -- suddenly releases water vapor that drives molten rock and fragmented debris upward through apertures in the Earth's crust. The mountain peaks in the Central Pacific that rise above the ocean's surface are composed of dense black basalt that has built up to great heights over the ages after being emitted from vents in the seafloor. It is thought that these landforms initially rose much higher out of the water, but the soft basaltic lava quickly eroded in the humid Central Pacific weather. Each of the coral atolls and islands in the Marshall Islands group rests atop one of these ancient submarine volcanoes. Image Size: 8.5 x 15 in. Overall Size: 10 x 16.5 in. Unframed. (B15296)