Sean Patrick Long
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Sean Patrick Long

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Associate Professor
School of the Environment
Washington State University


Contact information:                   
    Office:    1155 Webster
    Phone:    (509)
335-8868                                             
    Email:     sean.p.long@wsu.edu
    Mailing address:
      
School of the Environment
       Washington State University
       PO Box 642812
       Pullman WA 99164-2812


Research interests:
My research focuses on understanding the structural evolution of contractional and extensional mountain belts, including the Himalayas, the Andes, the North American Cordillera, and the Basin and Range Province. I integrate mapping-based field data with a diverse suite of quantitative datasets, including geochronology, thermochronometry, metamorphic temperatures and pressures, microstructural analyses, regional tectonic reconstructions, and balanced cross sections. Much of my recent research involves field-based evaluations of the predictions of models for the dynamics of mountain belts. Please see my research page for more details.

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New Stuff!  (updated December, 2021)


Newly funded NSF Tectonics grant (2022-2025) with Matthew Kohn (Boise State University)! "How do ultrahigh pressure metamorphic sheets form and exhume? A case study from the Tso Morari complex, India"

Newly funded NSF Tectonics grant (2020-2023) with Jeffrey Lee (Colorado School of Mines)! "Calibrating quartz fabric intensity as  a function of strain magnitude: a field-based investigation in the Snake Range core complex, Nevada"

Newly funded NSF Tectonics grant (2020-2023) with Matthew McKay (Missouri State University)! "Evaluating the drivers of exhumation during accretionary orogenesis: a field-based investigation in the Salmon River Suture Zone, Idaho"

Congratulations to Nolan Blackford, who published the first paper of his PhD research in Geosphere in 2022!


New paper on the Himalayan fold-thrust belt published in Geology in (Long and Robinson, 2021)!

Congratulations to Dominik Vlaha, who completed his senior thesis and graduated from WSU in Spring, 2021!

Congratulations to Dr. Russell DiFiori, who published the final paper of his PhD research in Tectonics in 2021!

Congratulations to Dr. Jesslyn Starnes, who defended her PhD dissertation in Spring, 2021! Jesslyn also landed a new job as a data scientist at the Idaho Geological Survey!

Congratulations to Dr. Ryan Anderson, who published the final paper of his PhD research in Gondwana Research in 2021!



New publications from Cordilleran and Basin and Range research in Nevada and Utah:

Blackford, N.R., Long, S.P., Stout, A.J., Rodgers, D.W., Cooper, C.M., Kramer, K., Di Fiori, R.V., and Soignard, E., 2022, Late Cretaceous upper-crustal thermal structure of the Sevier hinterland: implications for the geodynamics of the Nevadaplano: Geosphere: accepted 8-23-21, doi: 10.1130/GES02386.1.     click here for pdf

Di Fiori, R.V., Long, S.P., Snell, K.E., Fetrow, A.C., Bonde, J.W., and Vervoort, J.D., 2021, The role of shortening in the Sevier hinterland within the U.S. Cordilleran retroarc thrust system: Insights from the Cretaceous Newark Canyon Formation in central Nevada: Tectonics, v. 40, e2020TC006331, doi: 10.1029/2020TC006331.      click here for pdf

Fetrow, A.C., Snell, K.E., Di Fiori, R.V., Long, S.P., and Bonde, J.W., 2020, Early Sevier orogenic deformation exerted primary control on changes in depositional environment recorded by the Cretaceous Newark Canyon Formation: Journal of Sedimentary Research: v. 90, p. 1175-1197, doi: 10.2110/jsr.2020.52.     click here for pdf

Zuza, A.V., Thorman, C.H., Henry, C.D., Levy, D.A., Dee, S., Long, S.P., Sandberg, C., and Soignard, E., 2020, Pulsed Mesozoic deformation in the Cordilleran hinterland and evolution of the Nevadaplano: Insights from the Pequop Mountains, NE Nevada: Lithosphere, v. 2020, 24 p., doi: 10.2113/2020/8850336.     click here for pdf

Long, S.P., and Kohn, M.J., 2020, Distributed ductile thinning during thrust emplacement: a commonly overlooked exhumation mechanism: Geology, v. 48, p. 368-373, doi:10.1130/G47022.1.     click here for pdf

Di Fiori, R.V., Long, S.P., Snell, K.E., Fetrow, A., Bonde, J., and Vervoort, J.D., 2020, Syn-contractional deposition of the Cretaceous Newark Canyon Formation, Diamond Mountains, Nevada: Implications for strain partitioning within the U.S. Cordillera: Geosphere, v. 16, no. 2, p. 546-566, doi:10.1130/GES02168.1.     click here for pdf


New publications from Himalayan research in Bhutan and northwestern India:

Long, S.P., and Robinson, D.M., 2021, Construction of the Lesser Himalayan-Subhimalayan thrust belt: the primary driver of thickening, exhumation, and high elevations in the Himalayan orogen since the middle Miocene: Geology, v. 49, no. 11, p. 1283-1288, doi: 10.1130/G48967.1.     click here for pdf

Long, S.P., Kohn, M.J., Kerswell, B.C., Starnes, J.K., Larson, K.P., Blackford, N.R., and Soignard, E., 2020, Thermometry and microstructural analysis imply protracted extensional exhumation of the Tso Morari UHP nappe, northwestern Himalaya: implications for models of UHP exhumation: Tectonics, v. 39, 36 p., e2020TC006482, doi: 10.1029/2020TC006482.     click here for pdf

Starnes, J.K., Long, S.P., Gordon, S.M., Zhang, J., and Soignard, E., 2020, Using quartz fabric intensity parameters to delineate strain patterns across the Himalayan Main Central thrust: Journal of Structural Geology, v. 131, 103941, 18 p., doi: 10.1016/j.jsg.2019.103941.     click here for pdf


New publications from Andean research in Bolivia:

Anderson, R.B., Long, S.P., Horton, B.K., and Soignard, E., 2021, Late Paleozoic Gondwanide deformation in the central Andes: Insights from RSCM thermometry and thermal modeling, southern Bolivia: Gondwana Research, v. 94, p. 222-242, doi: 10.1016/j.gr.2021.03.002.     click here for pdf

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Picture from 2019 GSA annual meeting in Phoenix

In September, 2019, five students from my research group (from left to right: Russell DiFiori, Ryan Anderson, Nolan Blackford, Jesslyn Starnes, and Kimberly Kramer) traveled to the GSA annual meeting in Phoenix to present their research.

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Pictures from Summer, 2018 field work in Ladakh, India:

In July-August, 2018, Matt Kohn from BSU, Matt's graduate student Buchanan Kerswell, and myself did field work in the Tso Morari region of Ladakh in northwestern India. Here are a couple of pictures, including me at the second-highest road pass in the world, at the three of us at Tso Morari, a beautiful high-elevation lake.

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Picture from Fall, 2016 Bhutan field work:

In Fall, 2016, two of my graduate students, Laura Pianowski and Jesslyn Starnes accompanied myself, and collaborators Stacia Gordon and Robert Miller, on a field expedition to Bhutan. This picture shows Laura (left) and Jesslyn (right) in their kiras, the traditional Bhutanese female clothing. Behind them is Bhutan's famous Takstang monastery.

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Check out this picture!!!

In March, 2012, while mapping in southeast Bhutan, by chance Nadine McQuarrie (center), Tobgay (right) and myself (left) happened to meet his majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuk, the 5th king of Bhutan, and queen Jetsun Pema. This picture was taken that evening at their camp.