Which atmospheric layer contains most of Earth’s weather?

The troposphere is the atmospheric layer that contains most of Earth’s weather.

It is the lowest major layer of the atmosphere, extending from Earth’s surface to the tropopause. Its average depth is about 8 kilometers over the poles and about 18 kilometers over the equator, although the boundary changes with season and weather. Nearly all atmospheric water vapor is concentrated in this layer.

Most clouds, precipitation, winds, and storms develop in the troposphere because it contains the bulk of the atmosphere’s mass and moisture. Temperature generally decreases with altitude there. Above it, the stratosphere contains most atmospheric ozone and usually becomes warmer with height, so the two layers have different temperature structures and weather behavior.