Martin Köhler
About
Martin Köhler is a PhD candidate in Coastal Geomorphology and Natural Hazards at The University of Queensland. His research focuses on the geomorphology and geological evolution of islands and coasts, with a particular emphasis on understanding past and future coastal hazards, including tsunamis and cyclones.
His work combines field-based geological analysis with GIS, geostatistical modelling, and data-driven and machine learning approaches to better understand and predict earth processes. He specialises in coastal sedimentology and the reconstruction of past extreme wave events from sedimentary, geomorphological, and historical records to improve assessments of future coastal risk.
Prior to commencing his PhD, Martin completed a Master of Science at the Technical University Bergakademie Freiberg (Germany) and a Bachelor of Science at the University of Greifswald (Germany). He has also worked as a geologist and project leader in applied geoscience and environmental consulting, contributing to national and international research and industry projects.
Martin’s work has made key contributions to reconstructing long-term tsunami and coastal inundation history in the South Pacific, including the discovery of the world’s largest known cliff-top boulder, providing evidence for some of the earliest and most extreme tsunami inundation events identified in the Pacific region. He has also advanced methods for distinguishing tsunami- and storm-driven deposits, and demonstrated the value of Indigenous knowledge in identifying previously unrecognised inundation records, improving the reliability of coastal hazard reconstructions. His research has been published in multiple peer-reviewed journals, presented at national and international conferences, and has received international media attention for its impact in coastal hazard science.