Greenhouse gases are primarily found in the troposphere, which is the layer of the Earth's atmosphere closest to the surface. The troposphere extends from the Earth's surface up to an average altitude of about 10-15 kilometers (6-9 miles) at the poles and about 17-18 kilometers (11-12 miles) at the equator.

The greenhouse gases present in the troposphere include carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), water vapor (H2O), and others. These gases play a crucial role in the greenhouse effect, a natural process that helps regulate the Earth's temperature. They absorb and re-emit infrared radiation, trapping some of the heat energy that would otherwise escape into space. This trapped heat warms the Earth's surface and lower atmosphere, making the planet habitable for life as we know it.

The stratosphere, which is the layer above the troposphere, also contains trace amounts of certain greenhouse gases, particularly ozone (O3). Ozone is an important greenhouse gas found in the stratosphere, where it forms the ozone layer, which plays a vital role in protecting life on Earth by absorbing harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the Sun.

However, the greenhouse effect primarily operates within the troposphere, where the concentration of greenhouse gases is significantly higher than in the stratosphere. The troposphere's proximity to the Earth's surface makes it the primary layer responsible for influencing weather, climate, and the greenhouse effect.

Dr Gaurav H Tandon thank you for your contribution to the discussion

Ozone high in the stratosphere shields us from much of this ultraviolet radiation. That's good. But at the top of the troposphere, ozone acts as a greenhouse gas and adds to global warming.There are ten primary GHGs; of these, water vapor (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O) are naturally occurring. Greenhouse gases (GHGs) are a set of gases that accumulate in the lower layer of the atmosphere, the troposphere, and absorb infrared radiation, which contributes to increasing the average temperature of the Earth's surface. Stratospheric ozone is “good” because it protects living things from ultraviolet radiation from the sun. Ground-level ozone, the topic of this website, is “bad” because it can trigger a variety of health problems, particularly for children, the elderly, and people of all ages who have lung diseases such as asthma. Warming temperatures are expanding the troposphere. The troposphere is the lowest layer of Earth's atmosphere and where nearly all weather occurs. Over the last 40 years, the boundary between the troposphere and the neighboring stratosphere has risen as a result of climate change. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is released into the atmosphere by respiration, burning of fossil fuels for energy, and by decomposition of limestone during the manufacture of cement. It is also emitted during volcanic eruptions. Carbon dioxide gas is confined to troposphere only. Greenhouse effect, a warming of Earth's surface and troposphere (the lowest layer of the atmosphere) caused by the presence of water vapour, carbon dioxide, methane, and certain other gases in the air. Of those gases, known as greenhouse gases, water vapour has the largest effect.