A natural hazard is a natural event such as an earthquake, volcanic eruption, tropical storm or flood that has the potential to cause death and damage.

At a constructive plate margin magma rises between two tectonic plates. The plates move away from each other due to ridge push and slab pull. The magma cools to form a new plate. On land rift valleys form such as the East African rift valley. Where two oceanic plates move apart new islands can be formed e.g. Iceland.

A long, narrow valley lying between two normal geologic faults. Rift valleys usually form where the Earth’s lithosphere has become thin through extension associated with plate-tectonic processes.