Dr. Grimes is particularly fond of studying rocks in the field — recent research projects have taken him to locations ranging from the middle of the Atlantic Ocean to the interior of Antarctica. He uses a diverse set of tools including a simple hand lens, petrographic microscopes, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) to extract information recorded by rocks and minerals.

Current research projects:

1) Geochemical “imaging” of post-Pangean lithosphere of the Southern Appalachians

2) Genesis of oceanic plagiogranites at mid-ocean ridges and ophiolites: tracers of late stage magmatism and high temperature water-rock interactions.

3) Crustal growth and modification at slow-spreading mid-ocean ridges.

4) Zircon geochemical tools for studying tectonic provenance, magma chamber processes, and mantle source characteristics. This research has implications for the origin of the oldest known material (>4 billion year old zircon grains) on Earth.

Courses Taught

GG 1113 — Survey of Earth Science

GG 4114 — Mineralogy

GG 4123 — Petrology (CLICK HERE for photos of the Southern Appalachians field trip).

GG4990 - Ore Deposits

GG8133 – Rocks and Minerals (TIG)

Education
Ph.D. (Geology), University of Wyoming, 2008
B.S. (Geology), The Ohio State University, 2003

Academic Experience
2009–Present: Assistant Professor, Department of Geosciences, Mississippi State University

2008–2009: Post-Doctoral Researcher, University of Wisconsin–Madison

2004: Shipboard Scientist aboard the Joides Resolution, IODP Expedition 304

2003–2008: Graduate Research and Teaching Assistant, University of Wyoming

Publications

Blackman D.K., Ildefonse B., John B.E., Ohara Y., Miller D.J. and IODP 304-305 Science Party [C.B. Grimes as part of scientific party], 2011, Drilling constraints on lithospheric accretion and evolution at Atlantis Massif, Mid-Atlantic Ridge 30°N. J. Geophys. Res., doi:10.1029/2010JB007931. [Abstract]

Wanless, V.D., Perfit, M.R., Ridley, W.I., Wallace, P., Grimes, C.B., and Klein, E.M., 2011, Volatile abundances and oxygen isotopes in basaltic to dacitic lavas on mid-ocean ridges: The role of assimilation at spreading centers. Chemical Geology, doi:10.1016/j.chemgeo.2011.05.017. [Abstract]

Grimes, C. B., Cheadle, M. J., John, B. E. , Reiners, P. W. , and Wooden, J. L., 2011, Cooling rates and the depth of detachment faulting at oceanic core complexes - evidence from zircon Pb/U and U-Th/He ages, Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems,doi:10.1029/2010GC003391, [Abstract].

Elliot, D.H. and Grimes, C., 2011, Triassic and Jurassic strata at Coombs Hills, south Victoria Land: stratigraphy, petrology and cross-cutting breccia pipes, Antarctic Science, doi:10.1017/S0954102010000994. [Abstract]

Grimes, C.B., Ushikubo, T., John, B.E., Valley, J.W., 2011, Uniformly mantle-like δ¹⁸O in zircons from oceanic plagiogranites and gabbros. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology. [Abstract]

Schwartz, J.J., John, B.E., Cheadle, M.J., Wooden, J.L., Mazdab, F., Swapp, S., Grimes, C.B., 2010, Dissolution-Reprecipitation of Igneous Zircon in Mid-Ocean Ridge Gabbro, Atlantis Bank, Southwest Indian Ridge. Chemical Geology. doi:10.1016/j.chemgeo.2010.03.017.

Cheadle, M., Grimes, C., 2010, Structural geology: To fault or not to fault, Nature Geoscience, 3, News and Views. doi:10.1038/ngeo910. [Abstract]

Grimes, C.B., John, B.E., Cheadle, M.J., Schwartz, J., Mazdab, F.K., Swapp, S., Wooden, J., 2009, On the occurrence, trace element geochemistry, and crystallization history of zircon from in situ ocean lithosphere, Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology. doi: 10.1007/s00410-009-0409-2.

Baines, A.G., Cheadle, M.J., John, B.E., Grimes, C.B., Schwartz, J.J., and Wooden, J., 2009, Rapid accretion of gabbroic crust at the ultra-slow-spreading SW Indian Ridge. Earth and Planetary Science Letters. doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2009.09.002.

Morris, A., Gee, J.S., Pressling, N., John, B.E., MacLeod, C.J., Grimes, C.B., Searle, R.C., 2009, Footwall rotation in an oceanic core complex quantified using reoriented Integrated Ocean Drilling Program core samples. Earth and Planetary Science Letters. doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2009.08.007.

Grimes, C.B., John, B.E., Cheadle, M.J., and Wooden, J.L., 2008, Protracted construction of gabbroic crust at a slow-spreading ridge: Constraints from 206Pb/238U zircon ages from Atlantis Massif and IODP Hole U1309D (30°N, MAR), Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems (G³), 9. doi: 10.1029/2008GC002063.

Grimes, C.B., John, B.E., Kelemen, P.B., Mazdab, F., Wooden J.L., Cheadle, M.J., Hanghoj, K., and Schwartz, J.J., 2007, The trace element chemistry of zircons from oceanic crust: A method for distinguishing detrital zircon provenance, Geology, 35, 643-646.

Elliot, D.H., Fortner, E.H., and Grimes, C.B., 2006, Mawson breccias intrude Beacon strata at Allan and Coombs Hills, south Victoria Land: regional implications. In Futterer, D.K., Damaske, D., Kleinschmidt, G., Miller, H., and F. Tessensohn, (editors), Antarctica: Contributions to global earth sciences: Proceedings of the 9^th International Symposium on Antarctic Earth Sciences. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, p. 291-298.

Blackman D.K., Ildefonse B., John B.E., Ohara Y., Miller D.J., MacLoed C.J. and the Expedition 304/305 Scientists, 2006, Proc. IODP, 304/305: College Station, TX (Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Management International, Inc.), doi:10.2204/iodp.proc.304305.2006.

Schwartz J., John B.E., Cheadle M.J., Miranda E., Grimes C., Wooden J., and Dick H.J.B., 2005, Inherited zircon and the magmatic construction of oceanic crust, Science, 310, 654-657.

Professional Memberships

American Geophysical Union

Geological Society of America

Geochemical Society

Mineralogical Society of America

Georgia Geological Society