Do you like the summer rain? The warm, dewy feeling in the morning. The smell of the upcoming fun in the warm sun? Well the smell of rain is known as petrichor, a term coined in 1964. It is created when rain hits dry soil and rock, releasing a compound called geosmin, along with plant oils that have accumulated un the ground, producing an earthy, clean, and often nostalgic scent.

What is it? Petrichor is the distinct earthy scent produced when rain falls on dry soil, which was named by researchers Isabel Joy Bear and Richard Grenfell Thomas.

Why does it smell? Raindrops trap tiny air bubbles on the ground, which then pop and spray microscopic particles containing geosmin a chemical produced by soil-dwelling bacteria and plant oils into the air. This pleasant smell is thought to be a sensory reminder of water, or simply a refreshing change in atmosphere.