The rate of absorption of carbon dioxide from a bubble to a liquid were investigated using a shallow bubble column with a single nozzle. The overall mass transfer rate was classified into three categories depending on the bubble behavior: bubble formation at the nozzle, bubble rising in the bulk liquid and a bubble bursting (often followed by drifting) on the surface of water in the column. Flow properties including bubble diameter, the frequency of bubble formation and the velocity of bubble when rising were measured to determine the interfacial surface area of the bubbles for each region. As a result, it was possible to accurately measure the respective mass transfer coefficients. The contributions of bubble formation and bubble burst were found to be significant for the mass transfer rate in a shallow bubble column. The mass transfer coefficient of bubble formation was much higher than those for bubble burst and bubble rising.