PETRICHOR. It turns out it's not just gratitude that makes rain smell so appealing after a long period of dry weather. There's actually some chemistry involved too. Bacteria, plants and even lightning can all play a role in the pleasant smell we experience after a thunderstorm; that of clean air and wet earth. Known as petrichor, the scent has long been chased by scientists and even perfumers for its enduring appeal. First named by two Australian researchers in the 1960s, the warm, earthy fragrance we experience when rain hits dry ground is produced by bacteria. So when you're saying you smell damp soil, actually what you're smelling is a molecule being made by a certain type of bacteria. That molecule, geosmin, is produced by S treptomyces . Present in most healthy soils, these bacteria are also used to create commercial antibiotics. Drops of water hitting the ground cause geosmin to be released into the air , making it much more abundant after a rain shower. It's a really potent material and it smells just like the concrete when the rain hits it. There's something very primitive and very primal about the smell. #rain #bacteria #perfume #chemistry #outdoors #nature #science #psychology #loto https://www.instagram.com/p/CJaKGNWg6w1/?igshid=1az4vgabx5xtl
