Sunspots occur when small flux tubes combine into a large flux tube that breaks the surface of the photosphere. The large flux tube of the sunspot has a field intensity of around 3 kG with a diameter of typically 4000 km. There are extreme cases of when the large flux tubes have diameters of formula_34 km with a field strength of 3 kG. Sunspots can continue to grow as long as there is a constant supply of new flux from small flux tubes on the surface of the sun. The magnetic field within the flux tube can be compressed by decreasing the gas pressure inside and therefore the internal temperature of the tube while maintaining a constant pressure outside.