What were the forces suggested by Wegener for the movement of the continents?
Wegener suggested two main forces responsible for the movement of continents: pole-fleeing force and tidal force.
The pole-fleeing force relates to the rotation of the earth. Since the earth is not a perfect sphere and has a bulge at the equator due to rotation, this force was believed to cause continental drifting.
The tidal force is caused by the attraction of the moon and the sun, which develops tides in oceanic waters. Wegener believed that these forces would become effective when applied over many million years. However, most scholars considered these forces to be totally inadequate.
Explanation
This is a direct 3-mark short answer question from the NCERT textbook. The answer correctly identifies the two forces (pole-fleeing force and tidal force) and explains each briefly. The pole-fleeing force connects to Earth's rotation and equatorial bulge, while tidal force relates to gravitational attraction from the moon and sun. The answer also mentions the scholarly criticism of these forces, which is part of the textbook content.