One of the fundamental questions in tribology is the magnitude of surface temperatures generated in the fretting of steel and if this is a factor in the formation of metallic oxides. An infrared microscope was used as a means of direct measurement of surface temperatures generated under low frictional heat rates (lower than 1.5 J s −1) encountered in fretting experiments. A photo/video technique was developed to view the fretting contact interface in “real time” and to observe the process of oxide formation. In addition, wear scars on the steel were examined using both photomacrography and scanning electron microscopy. Spherical 52100 steel specimens, 1.25 cm in diameter, were studied under various loads (4 N-20 N), amplitudes (20 μm and 100 μm), and at a constant frequency of 150 Hz. Studies in air showed that even with surface temperatures as low as 25–30 °C, significant quantities of oxides quickly formed on the steel ball in contact with sapphire during fretting. The observed formation of iron oxides in low surface temperature tribological experiments is explained in terms of exoelectron emission as suggested by Kajdas. The measured surface temperature rises were also compared with Archard's theoretical model. The wear rates of steel under these fretting conditions depended on load, vibration amplitude, and environment — the latter two effects being greatest. For example, in air, increasing the amplitude from 20 to 100 μm resulted in a 20 fold increase in wear for a given sliding distance. Fretting experiments in nitrogen, under high load/ high amplitude conditions, resulted in a 100 fold decrease in wear compared with that observed in air. However, the magnitudes of surface temperature rise in air and in nitrogen were not significantly different.