The liquid motion induced by surface tension variation, termed the Marangoni effect, and its contribution to boiling heat transfer has been an issue of much controversy. Boiling heat transfer theory, although acknowledging its existence, considers its contribution to heat transfer to be insignificant in comparison with buoyancy induced convection. However, recent microgravity experiments have shown that although the boiling mechanism in a reduced gravity environment is different, the corresponding heat transfer rates are similar to those obtained under normal gravity conditions, raising questions about the validity of the assumption. An experimental investigation was performed in which distilled water was gradually heated to boiling conditions on a copper heater surface at four different levels of subcooling. Photographic investigation of the bubbles appearing on the surface was carried out in support of the measurements. The results obtained indicate that Marangoni convection associated with the bubbles formed by the air dissolved in the water which emerged from solution when the water was heated sufficiently, significantly influenced the heat transfer rate in subcooled nucleate pool boiling. A heat transfer model was developed in order to explain the phenomena observed. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.