A drought causes a lake to shrink, exposing cracked mud. What is the main consequence described?

• A. The lake receded due to drought
• B. The lake remained full due to heavy rain
• C. The drought caused fish to migrate inland
• D. The drought's heat sparked wildfires

Answer: (A)

When water sources shrink, the visible sign is the water level dropping and the shoreline moving back, exposing areas that were once underwater. Cracked mud shows the surface has dried out, which happens as the lake loses water during a drought. So the main consequence described is that the lake receded due to the drought.

The other ideas don’t fit this image as directly: heavy rain would raise water levels rather than reveal dry, cracked mud; fish migrating inland isn’t indicated by the scene of a shrinking lake; and wildfires caused by heat aren’t described by the drying lakebed.