What Makes Rain Smell So Good?
Is the title of a recent post from Smithsonian, Joseph Stromberg posts about the science behind the pleasant smell of rain. I live in a rainforest and do indeed find the rain very good therapy. In part:
"In moist, forested areas in particular, a common substance is geosmin, a chemical produced by a soil-dwelling bacteria known as actinomycetes. The bacteria secrete the compound when they produce spores, then the force of rain landing on the ground sends these spores up into the air, and the moist air conveys the chemical into our noses.
“It’s a very pleasant aroma, sort of a musky smell,” soil specialist Bill Ypsilantis told NPR during an interview on the topic. “You’ll also smell that when you are in your garden and you’re turning over your soil.”
Read more: http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/science/2013/04/what-makes-rain-smell-so-good/#ixzz2PhRJmaKm
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