Geology gives us a time record of the development of Mother Earth, from the first of the planet formation to the present. In the present, we can look at the characteristics of the formations at coastal Maine, where the friction of plate sliding caused temperatures high enough to result in rock reformation (metamorphic rocks), and compare that to Texas geology where sedimentary processes produced long, thin layers of rock. and see how different was the formation of some parts of our planet. These differences can provide physical references which we can use to compare and project future trends.
It will be apparent that I am not a geologist but at best maybe an interested amateur. A reader interested in more in-depth information should consult one of the technical references listed.