Constructive margins

Constructive margins or divergent boundaries occur when two tectonic plates move apart. This can be:
- Oceanic plate + oceanic plate (e.g. North American plate and Eurasian plate)
  - As plates move apart, magma rises from the mantle to fill the gap.
  - Magma cools and solidifies to form new oceanic crust, creating ocean ridges, underwater volcanoes, and volcanic islands (e.g. Iceland).
  - Earthquakes may occur from tension as the crust fractures.
- Continental plate + continental plate (less common) where a rift may form as the crust stretches and thins (e.g. East African Rift Valley).

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