Statement I accurately describes the permeability characteristics of chalk and clay. Chalk is known for its high permeability, allowing water to pass through easily, while clay is recognized as largely impermeable, restricting water flow.
Statement II is correct. Chalk possesses a porous structure, being formed from the accumulation of microscopic marine organisms. These pores are interconnected, enabling chalk to absorb and transmit water effectively. This inherent porosity directly explains why chalk is a very permeable rock, as stated in Statement I.
Statement III is incorrect. Clay is not entirely non-porous. It does contain pores, but these are exceedingly small and poorly interconnected. This characteristic results in very low permeability, which restricts water movement, rather than an absence of porosity. Therefore, Statement III does not accurately describe the nature of clay and cannot correctly explain its impermeability as mentioned in Statement I.
Considering that only Statement II is factually correct among Statements II and III, and it provides a valid explanation for the permeability of chalk (a part of Statement I), option (C) is the correct choice.
Option (1) is incorrect because Statement III is factually inaccurate, meaning both Statement II and Statement III are not correct.
Option (2) is incorrect because Statement III is not correct, therefore it cannot be stated that both Statement II and Statement III are correct.
Option (4) is incorrect because Statement II is factually correct, disproving the claim that neither statement is correct.