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The vertical stream of bubbles in Minecraft is a bubble column. It forms in water above one of two blocks: soul sand creates a column that carries things upward, and a magma block creates a whirlpool that pulls things downward. Players use bubble columns to move vertically through water, and the most common use is a water elevator.
What a bubble column is
A bubble column is a non-solid, generated block in water, not an item you can collect or carry. According to the Minecraft Wiki’s bubble column reference, it is produced by a soul sand block or a magma block sitting beneath water. Because it is not solid, you can move into it, and it moves entities such as players, mobs and item entities along its length.
Telling the two versions apart
The bottom block determines everything else about the column, including which way it pushes you. Look at the bubbles first: rising bubbles mean an upward column, while a swirling, downward-spiralling motion means a downward column.
| Feature | Soul sand column | Magma block column |
|---|---|---|
| Block underneath the water | Soul sand | Magma block |
| Visible bubble motion | Air bubbles rising | Whirlpool pulling downward |
| Effect on entities | Lifts them upward | Pulls them downward |
| Typical use | Upward water elevator | Downward transport or a trap-like pull |
If you are being lifted, the soul sand is at the bottom of the stream. If you are being pulled under, look for the magma block below the water.
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How to build an upward water elevator
An elevator relies on water that is continuous from the soul sand to the top of the shaft. Any gap breaks the column, because the bubbles do not flow past an air space.
- Place a soul sand block at the floor of the shaft, at the level you want to start from.
- Fill the space directly above the soul sand with source water. Use a water bucket on the block above it, not flowing water.
- Continue placing source water at every level above the soul sand, up to the top of the shaft.
- Walk or jump into the water above the soul sand to test the lift. You should rise steadily as long as the column stays unbroken.
For a downward column, the same principle applies with a magma block placed underwater in place of soul sand. The magma block must be submerged for the whirlpool to form.
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Movement speeds by edition
The Minecraft Wiki gives approximate movement speeds for entities in a bubble column. The page does not give a publication date for these figures, so treat them as the wiki’s current estimates rather than an official patch-dated specification.
| Edition | Upward speed | Downward speed |
|---|---|---|
| Java Edition | About 11 blocks per second | About 4.9 blocks per second |
| Bedrock Edition | About 8 blocks per second | About 6 blocks per second |
These are approximate figures from the Minecraft Wiki, not measured results from a specific test, so they can vary slightly with movement and conditions. If you cite them, name the edition and the wiki.
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Troubleshooting a bubble column
- The elevator stops partway up: There is a gap in the water. Check each level above the soul sand and replace any air block with source water.
- Bubbles appear but nothing moves: Confirm that the bubbles come from a soul sand block, not from a magma block, and that you are inside the water column rather than just beside it.
- The column pulls you down unexpectedly: A magma block is beneath the water. Remove or cover the magma block to stop the downward whirlpool.
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