Statement I is correct. Scientific studies, including those funded by NASA, indicate that Earth's rotation and axial tilt are undergoing shifts. These changes are primarily attributed to the redistribution of mass across the planet.
Statement II is correct. Solar flares and associated coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are powerful solar events that release significant amounts of energy. When directed towards Earth, this energy bombards the outermost layers of the atmosphere, leading to phenomena such as heating, expansion of the thermosphere, and auroras. However, the energy deposited by solar flares and CMEs, while substantial for the upper atmosphere, does not significantly alter Earth's overall rotation or axial tilt over long periods due to the planet's immense mass and rotational inertia, and the deflection of much of this energy by Earth's magnetic field.
Statement III is correct. The melting of polar ice sheets and glaciers contributes to a transfer of water mass from high latitudes (poles) towards lower latitudes (equator). This redistribution of mass changes Earth's moment of inertia. According to the principle of conservation of angular momentum, a change in the moment of inertia causes a corresponding adjustment in the planet's spin rate and the orientation of its rotational axis. Therefore, the movement of meltwater towards the equator directly explains the shifts in Earth's rotation and axis mentioned in Statement I.
In summary, all three statements are factually correct. However, only Statement III provides a direct explanation for the phenomenon described in Statement I. Statement II, while correct, does not explain the long-term shifts in Earth's rotation and axis.
Option 1 is incorrect because while both Statement II and Statement III are factually correct, only Statement III explains Statement I. Solar flares and CMEs do not cause significant long-term shifts in Earth's rotation or axis.
Option 3 is incorrect because both Statement II and Statement III are factually correct statements. It is not the case that only one of them is correct.
Option 4 is incorrect because both Statement II and Statement III are factually correct statements, as explained above.