Sure can smell the rain

Have you ever noticed the smell of rain? Why does wet soil smell so good?

The smell of wet soil plants oils released into the soil during dry periods is due. These substances accumulate in the soil and mix with geosmin, produced and released by several groups of bacteria, including actinobacteria (eg, Streptomyces) and cyanobacteria. Geosmine (from Greek “geo”, earth, and “osmin”, smell) is a bicyclic alcohol derivative of decain, and was firstly described in the 1960s (Gerber and Lechevalier, 1965). When it rains, these chemicals are released into the atmosphere and cause a special smell which is known in English as petrichor (Greek “petros”, stone, and “ikhôr” liquid flowing through the veins of the gods).


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