The XRD analyses
of samples indicate the foliated gouge contains significant quantities
of lizardite and chrysotile. Experimental work has demonstrated
that small amounts (b15% bulk wt.%) of serpentine may significantly
reduce the overall frictional strength of fine-grained materials
(Escartin et al., 2001), though even high concentrations of serpentine
do not lead to friction coefficients as low as seen in smectites