The correct option is 1 and 3 only.
Explanation
Alfred Wegener proposed the Continental Drift Theory in 1912. To explain the movement of continents away from the supercontinent Pangea, he suggested two primary mechanisms: the "Polar Fleeing Force" (related to Earth's rotation) and the "Tidal Force."
Statement-wise Analysis:
- Statement 1 is Correct: Wegener attributed the Tidal Force to the gravitational attraction of the moon and the sun. He hypothesized that as the Earth rotates from west to east, the gravitational pull of these celestial bodies exerted a drag on the continental crust, causing it to drift westwards.
- Statement 2 is Incorrect: The Tidal Force described by Wegener is the same force responsible for generating tides in oceanic waters. It does not suppress tides; rather, Wegener used the existence of oceanic tides to argue that similar forces could move continents over millions of years.
- Statement 3 is Correct: Most scholars and geophysicists considered the Tidal Force completely inadequate for drifting continents. Mathematical calculations demonstrated that for these forces to be strong enough to drag continental masses, they would need to be millions of times stronger than they actually are. If such forces existed, they would have stopped the Earth's rotation within a few years.
Key Takeaway: While Wegener correctly identified that continents move, the mechanisms he proposed (Tidal Force and Polar Fleeing Force) were scientifically flawed and insufficient to drive the movement of lithospheric plates.