what is the name of the smell after it rains
Petrichor - wikipedia Petrichor Jump to : navigation , search `` Scent of rain '' redirects here . For the play , see Scent of Rain . For other uses , see Scent of Rain ( disambiguation ) . `` Smell of rain '' redirects here . For the album , see The Smell of Rain . For the song by Phish , see Big Boat . For the song by Paul Kelly , see Life Is Fine . Rainfall Petrichor ( / ˈpɛtrɪkɔər / ) is the earthy scent produced when rain falls on dry soil . The word is constructed from Greek πέτρα petra , meaning `` stone '' , and ἰχώρ īchōr , the fluid that flows in the veins of the gods in Greek mythology . The term was coined in 1964 by two Australian CSIRO researchers , Isabel Joy Bear and Richard G. Thomas , for an article in the journal Nature . In the article , the authors describe how the smell derives from an oil exuded by certain plants during dry periods , whereupon it is absorbed by clay - based soils and rocks . During rain , the oil is released into the air along with another compound , geosmin , a metabolic by - product of certain actinobacteria , which is emitted by wet soil , producing the distinctive scent ; ozone may also be present if there is lightning . In a follow - up paper , Bear and Thomas ( 1965 ) showed that the oil retards seed germination and early plant growth . In 2015 , MIT scientists used high - speed cameras to record how the scent moves into the air . The tests involved approximately 600 experiments on 28 different surfaces , including engineered materials and soil samples . When a raindrop lands on a porous surface , air from the pores forms small bubbles , which float to the surface and release aerosols . Such aerosols carry the scent , as well as bacteria and viruses from the soil . Raindrops that move at a slower rate tend to produce more aerosols ; this serves as an explanation for why the petrichor is more common after light rains . Some scientists believe that humans appreciate the rain scent because ancestors may have relied on rainy weather for survival . See also ( edit ) Geosmin References ( edit ) Jump up ^ Bear , Isabel Joy ; Thomas , Richard G. ( March 1964 ) . `` Nature of argillaceous odour '' . Nature . 201 ( 4923 ) : 993 -- 995 . Bibcode : 1964Natur. 201 ... 993B . doi : 10.1038 / 201993a0 . Jump up ^ Garg , Anu ( 2007 ) . The Dord , the Diglot , and an Avocado Or Two : The Hidden Lives and Strange Origins of Words . Penguin . p. 399 . ISBN 9780452288614 . Jump up ^ Yuhas , Daisy ( July 18 , 2012 ) . `` Storm Scents : It 's True , You Can Smell Oncoming Summer Rain : Researchers have teased out the aromas associated with a rainstorm and deciphered the olfactory messages they convey '' . Scientific American . Retrieved July 20 , 2012 . Jump up ^ Bear , Isabel Joy ; Thomas , Richard G. ( September 1965 ) . `` Petrichor and plant growth '' . Nature . 207 ( 5005 ) : 1415 -- 1416 . Bibcode : 1965Natur. 207.1415 B . doi : 10.1038 / 2071415a0 . ^ Jump up to : Cooper - White , Macrina ( 15 January 2015 ) . `` Here 's Why Rain Has That Distinctive Smell '' . The Huffington Post . Retrieved 17 January 2015 . Jump up ^ Chu , Jennifer ( 14 January 2015 ) . `` Rainfall can release aerosols , study finds '' . MIT News . Retrieved 17 January 2015 . Jump up ^ Palermo , Elizabeth ( 21 June 2013 ) . `` Why Does Rain Smell Good ? '' . LiveScience.com . Retrieved 17 January 2015 . External links ( edit ) Look up petrichor in Wiktionary , the free dictionary . Petrichor -- at `` A Word a Day '' From the Oxford English Dictionary Hansen , Joe , Where does the smell of rain come from ? , It 's Okay To Be Smart , PBS Digital Studios The Straight Dope : What 's that smell right before it rains ? Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Petrichor&oldid=798733459 '' Categories : Olfaction Precipitation Soil Rain Talk About Wikipedia Català Deutsch Ελληνικά Español Français گیلکی 𐌲𐌿𐍄𐌹𐍃𐌺 한국어 Bahasa Indonesia Italiano עברית Nederlands 日本 語 Português Русский Simple English தமிழ் Українська Tiếng Việt Edit links This page was last edited on 3 September 2017 , at 14 : 09 . Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply . By using this site , you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy . Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation , Inc. , a non-profit organization . About Wikipedia
1. Petrichor: The earthy scent produced when rain falls on dry soil.
2. Greek mythology: The term "petrichor" is constructed from Greek words meaning "stone" and "the fluid that flows in the veins of the gods."
3. Australian researchers: Isabel Joy Bear and Richard G. Thomas coined the term "petrichor" in 1964.
4. Oil and geosmin: The scent of petrichor is derived from an oil exuded by certain plants during dry periods and geosmin, a metabolic by-product of certain actinobacteria emitted by wet soil.
5. Raindrop aerosols: When raindrops land on porous surfaces, they release aerosols that carry the scent of petrichor.