The informal Richard Russell formation of Gillon (1982), is here named the Richard Russell Formation in the Richard Russell thrust sheet in GA and NC. It consists of interlayered migmatitic biotite gneiss, metasandstone, aluminous biotite schist and biotite-muscovite schist, granofels, and amphibolite. It is bounded on the northwest by the Hayesville fault and on the southeast by the Shope Fork fault. Thickness is unknown. Age is probably Late Proterozoic.

Source: GNU records (USGS DDS-6; Reston GNULEX).

The Richard Russell Formation of Nelson and Gillon (1985) is here restricted to massive biotite gneiss with minor biotite schist, as at the type section, and should not include the schist-amphibolite-gneiss unit to the west which is here named the Zebulon Formation. Because it is 90% gneiss the name is changed to Richard Russell Gneiss and it is assigned to the Great Smoky Group in the Richard Russell thrust slice in the Bill Arp thrust sheet in GA. The amphibolite units assigned to the Richard Russell by Nelson (1982) are in thrust contact upon it. Age is Late Proterozoic.

Source: GNU records (USGS DDS-6; Reston GNULEX).

Rocks correlated with the Richard Russell Formation crop out in the southwestern corner of the Canton quadrangle, Haywood Co., northwest NC. A possible connection of the Richard Russell with the Earlies Gap Biotite Gneiss (new name) beneath the Holland Mountain thrust sheet favors a Middle Proterozoic age assignment. Unit has a minimum thickness of 2,000 ft in the study area and is everywhere in fault contact with the Ashe Metamorphic Suite.

Source: GNU records (USGS DDS-6; Reston GNULEX).

Richard Russell Formation in Richard Russell thrust sheet is subdivided into the following informal, mappable units: biotite gneiss; quartzofeldspathic gneiss (probably correlates with Coleman River Formation of Hatcher, 1979, in NC); mixed biotite gneiss and granitic gneiss; amphibolite; quartzite and interlayered quartzofeldspathic gneiss; biotite schist and muscovite-biotite schist; and irregularly interlayered and commonly well-foliated biotite-garnet schist, mica schist, quartzofeldspathic gneiss, and locally muscovitic quartzite (probably correlates with Ridgepole Mountain Formation of Hatcher, 1979, in NC). Age of Richard Russell Formation changed to Middle(?) Proterozoic based on a preliminary concordant 207Pb-206Pb age for zircons of 1035 Ma in the mixed biotite gneiss and granitic gneiss unit (T.W. Stern and A.E. Nelson, unpub. data).

Source: GNU records (USGS DDS-6; Reston GNULEX).