palaetiology

Wiktionary

1. n. The science that explains, by the law of causation, the past condition and changes of the Earth.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. The science which explains, by the law of causation, the past condition and changes of the earth; the explanation of past events in terms of scientific causes, such as geological causes.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. the explanation of past events in terms of scientific causes (as geological causes)