Which greenhouse gas is primarily responsible for global warming?

Carbon dioxide is primarily responsible for global warming due to its significant role in the greenhouse effect and its long-term persistence in the atmosphere. While all the gases listed contribute to the greenhouse effect—trapping heat in the atmosphere—carbon dioxide has been the focus of climate discussions because it is released in large quantities through human activities, particularly the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas. CO2 has a long atmospheric lifetime, meaning it can remain in the atmosphere for hundreds to thousands of years, continuing to exert its warming influence long after it has been emitted.

In addition to its volume and durability, carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere have risen dramatically since the Industrial Revolution, directly correlating with the increase in global average temperatures. While methane and nitrous oxide are also potent greenhouse gases—in fact, methane is much more effective at trapping heat than CO2 on a per molecule basis—the total amount of CO2 in the atmosphere is larger than that of these other gases. Water vapor is the most abundant greenhouse gas, but its concentration in the atmosphere is primarily controlled by natural processes. It acts more as a feedback mechanism rather than a direct force of climate change, amplifying warming driven by other greenhouse gases.

Hence, while multiple gases contribute