Piecing together the puzzle of geologic time to create and analyze historical maps of the Earth is known as

Paleogeography is the study and reconstruction of the Earth's geography during past geologic times [2]. It involves analyzing the rock record, fossil distributions, and paleomagnetic data to create historical maps that illustrate the changing configurations of continents, ocean basins, and ancient landscapes [2]. These maps are interpretive tools used to visualize the Earth's architecture and environmental conditions that cannot be directly observed today [2]. While related fields like paleoclimatology focus specifically on ancient climates, paleogeography serves as a broader discipline that synthesizes various geological data to piece together the puzzle of the Earth's physical history [2]. The term was notably coined by Thomas Sterry Hunt in 1873 to manage and analyze geological data for exploration purposes. Consequently, the creation and analysis of historical maps of the Earth across geologic time is the defining characteristic of paleogeography.

Sources

1. [2] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 7: Tectonics > Palaeomagnetism > p. 99