Here, laboratory friction experiments on simulated fault gouges are used to gain insight into the relationship between SSEs and ordinary earthquakes. The experiments are conducted water-saturated, at room temperature and at low pressure (10 MPa effective normal stress) to simulate the shallow, near-surface portions of major fault zones. A key feature of these experiments is employing driving velocities as low as 5 cm/yr (1.6 nm/s) to simulate natural far-field tectonic driving rates. The gouge materials are pyrite, hematite, and Carrara marble powders.