Correct Response: B. To investigate the causes of an extended drought, the climatologist first needs to establish the variables that have affected the region's precipitation during the drought. The management of drought conditions (A) is a practical concern unrelated to the drought's causes and the duration of previous droughts (C), while useful information, does not get at the underlying causes of the current extended drought. Similarly, why droughts strike certain regions and not others (D) is an interesting question, but not the strongest foundation for investigating the causes of the current drought.
