Bubble Column

Bubble Column
Renewable	Yes
Stackable	No (Unobtainable as an item in JE)
Tool	None
Blast resistance	100
Hardness	0
Luminous	No
Transparent	Yes
Flammable	No
Catches fire from lava	No

A bubble column is a non-solid block generated by placing magma blocks or soul sand in water (source). Bubble columns push or pull entities and items in certain directions.

Obtaining

Breaking

In Java Edition, bubble columns cannot be obtained as an item, and can be placed only by a block-placement command such as /setblock.

In Bedrock Edition, it may be obtained as an item via inventory editing, add-ons, or bugs.

Natural generation

Java Edition bubble column. (Click to see the animation)

Whirlpool bubble columns appear naturally when magma blocks generate underwater, in clusters on the floor of aquifers, or as part of ocean ruins and ruined portals generated below the water surface.

Post-generation

When a magma block is placed underwater, a whirlpool bubble column is generated.

When soul sand is placed under source water blocks, an upward bubble column is generated.

Usage

Players and air-breathing mobs can enter a bubble column to replenish their air supply, at the same speed that they would when they leave the water entirely. The slower mining speed when underwater, however, still applies to players inside bubble columns. Water-breathing mobs avoid bubble columns because they suffocate if trapped in one. A bubble column is destroyed when moved by a piston. Bubble columns propagate only through water source blocks, stopping at any flowing water or waterlogged block. The height of a bubble column is limited only by the water's surface or by any obstructing blocks underwater.

Bubble columns cannot be created in downward flowing water. This can be circumvented by placing kelp in downward-flowing water, which converts it into a source block.

Whirlpool

A whirlpool, or downward bubble column, is the only type that naturally generates in the Overworld, often originating from magma at the bottom of underwater canyons. A whirlpool can be identified by the presence of air bubbles wandering downward. They drag entities downward. A boat ridden over a whirlpool shakes and eventually sinks if kept above the whirlpool for too long.

Upward

Upward bubble columns can be identified by the presence of vertically rising air bubbles. An upward bubble column accelerates entities upward; it is impossible to swim downward in one. The longer an object rises through the bubble column, the faster it travels. At high enough speeds, players and entities can be launched out of water by several blocks. Sitting on the surface above a rising bubble column causes entities to bounce upward repeatedly by about 1 block.

Transport

In Java Edition, entities move at a speed of approximately 11 blocks per second when in an upward bubble column, or 4.9 blocks per second when in a downward bubble column.

In Bedrock Edition, entities move at a speed of approximately 8 blocks per second when in an upward bubble column, or 6 blocks per second when in a downward bubble column.

Ender pearl stasis chamber

Projectiles such as ender pearls are affected by bubble columns. An ender pearl can remain afloat on top of an upward bubble column, allowing it to be stored indefinitely. A mechanism can then be triggered to make the ender pearl hit a solid surface (e.g. by closing a trapdoor), teleporting the thrower back to the setup wherever they are.

Sounds

Java Edition:

Sound	Subtitles	Source	Description	Resource location	Translation key	Volume	Pitch	Attenuation distance
	Bubbles pop	None	Unused sound event	block.bubble_column.bubble_pop	subtitles.block.bubble_column.bubble_pop	0.1	1.0	16
	Bubbles flow	Blocks	Randomly from an upward bubble column	block.bubble_column.upwards_ambient	subtitles.block.bubble_column.upwards_ambient	0.12-0.24	0.9-1.05	16
	Bubbles woosh	Players	When a player enters an upward bubble column	block.bubble_column.upwards_inside	subtitles.block.bubble_column.upwards_inside	0.7	1.0	16
	Bubbles whirl	Blocks	Randomly from a downward bubble column	block.bubble_column.whirlpool_ambient	subtitles.block.bubble_column.whirlpool_ambient	0.12-0.25	0.9-1.05	16
	Bubbles zoom	Players	When a player enters a downward bubble column	block.bubble_column.whirlpool_inside	subtitles.block.bubble_column.whirlpool_inside	0.7	1.0	16

Bedrock Edition:

Data values

ID

Java Edition:

Name	Identifier	Form	Translation key
Bubble Column	bubble_column	Block	block.minecraft.bubble_column

Bedrock Edition:

Name	Identifier	Numeric ID	Form	Item ID	Translation key
Bubble Column	bubble_column	415	Block & Ungiveable Item	Identical	—

Block states

See also: Block states

Java Edition:

Name	Default value	Allowed values	Description
drag	true	false true	Determines whether the bubble column is upward or whirlpool.

Bedrock Edition:

Name	Metadata Bits	Default value	Allowed values	Values for Metadata Bits	Description
drag_down	0x1	false	false true	0 1	Determines whether the bubble column is upward or whirlpool.

History

November 18, 2017					Bubble columns were shown in a video clip during MINECON Earth 2017.
Java Edition
1.13		18w07a			Added bubble columns.
		18w08a			Bubble columns now generate in underwater ravines.
		18w09a			Bubble columns now generate in underwater ruins.
		18w16a			Bubble columns can no longer be pushed by pistons.
Bedrock Edition
1.5.0		beta 1.5.0.4			Added bubble columns.
		beta 1.5.0.7			Bubble columns can now be toggled to look similar to Java Edition, but only for devices that can handle them.
Legacy Console Edition
TU69		1.76	Patch 38		Added bubble columns.

Bubble column "item"

The following content is transcluded from Technical blocks/Bubble Column.

Bedrock Edition
?					Bubble columns exist as an item.

Appearances

Bedrock Edition
?					Bubble columns use this texture.

Names

Bedrock Edition

• ? - ?: tile.bubble_column.name

Issues

Issues relating to "Bubble Column" are maintained on the bug tracker. Report issues there.

Gallery

• 
  Bubble columns naturally generated as part of an underwater ruin.
• 
  Bubble columns created by placing magma blocks under water.
• 
  A player inside of an upward bubble column.
• 
  A bubble column shaking a boat ridden by the player. (Click image to view the animation)
• 
  A bubble column sinking a boat ridden by the player.

Java Edition

• 
  A naturally occurring upward bubble column, generated using Buffet mode. The soul sand generated underwater.

Bedrock Edition

• 
  An upward bubble column in Bedrock Edition with fancy bubbles disabled.
• 
  Bubble columns seen in an underwater ruin in Bedrock Edition with fancy bubbles disabled.
• 
  Bubble columns created by soul sand and magma block in Bedrock Edition with fancy bubbles disabled.