<P> Petrichor (/ ˈpɛtrɪkɔːr /) 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 . </P> <P> 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 . </P> <P> 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 . </P>

Smell of soil after rain is due to
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