We always seek other evidences to piece the environments together. Landforms may certainly have been different. It is the cornerstone of environmental reconstruction. Uses geomorphology, the study of land formation processes. By recognizing the way landforms develop, we can sometimes find buried surfaces.
Soil science allows a range of possible analyses about old surfaces and preservation.
Playnology looks at the study of fossil pollen. Pollen from plants is nearly indestructible and preserves very well in most cases. Each plant species as a distinctive pollen form that is identifiable from samples. One can reconstruct the plants in a area and their proportions by identifying and counting the types found. Gives a good picture of the environment at different periods of time.