Why Does Rain Smell Good?
There are several scents associated with rainfall that people find pleasing. One of these odors, called "petrichor," lingers when rain falls after a prolonged dry spell. Petrichor — the term was coined in 1964 by two Australian scientists studying the smells of wet weather — is derived from a pair of chemical reactions.
Some plants secrete oils during dry periods, and when it rains, these
oils are released into the air. The second reaction that creates
petrichor occurs when chemicals produced by soil-dwelling bacteria known as actinomycetes are released. These aromatic compounds combine to create the pleasant petrichor scent when rain hits the ground. Another scent associated with rain is ozone.
During a thunderstorm, lightning can split oxygen and nitrogen
molecules in the atmosphere, and they in turn can recombine into nitric
oxide. This substance interacts with other chemicals in the atmosphere
to form ozone, which has a sharp smell faintly reminiscent of chlorine.When someone says they can smell rain coming, it may be that wind from an approaching storm has carried ozone down from the clouds and into the person's nostrils.
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