"Ah, I love the smell right after it rains!" How many times have we all heard this? But what exactly makes that common fragrance?
We scientists have three possible hypotheses.
![Anello Answers It: Smell of rain Explained](https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/waaytv.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/b4/0b4cb34a-badc-11ee-b12b-b7f0b3080af9/65b1458814e7f.image.png?resize=150%2C84 150w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/waaytv.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/b4/0b4cb34a-badc-11ee-b12b-b7f0b3080af9/65b1458814e7f.image.png?resize=200%2C113 200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/waaytv.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/b4/0b4cb34a-badc-11ee-b12b-b7f0b3080af9/65b1458814e7f.image.png?resize=225%2C127 225w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/waaytv.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/b4/0b4cb34a-badc-11ee-b12b-b7f0b3080af9/65b1458814e7f.image.png?resize=300%2C169 300w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/waaytv.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/b4/0b4cb34a-badc-11ee-b12b-b7f0b3080af9/65b1458814e7f.image.png?resize=400%2C225 400w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/waaytv.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/b4/0b4cb34a-badc-11ee-b12b-b7f0b3080af9/65b1458814e7f.image.png?resize=540%2C304 540w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/waaytv.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/b4/0b4cb34a-badc-11ee-b12b-b7f0b3080af9/65b1458814e7f.image.png?resize=640%2C360 640w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/waaytv.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/b4/0b4cb34a-badc-11ee-b12b-b7f0b3080af9/65b1458814e7f.image.png?resize=750%2C422 750w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/waaytv.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/b4/0b4cb34a-badc-11ee-b12b-b7f0b3080af9/65b1458814e7f.image.png?resize=990%2C557 990w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/waaytv.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/b4/0b4cb34a-badc-11ee-b12b-b7f0b3080af9/65b1458814e7f.image.png?resize=1035%2C582 1035w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/waaytv.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/b4/0b4cb34a-badc-11ee-b12b-b7f0b3080af9/65b1458814e7f.image.png?resize=1200%2C675 1200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/waaytv.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/b4/0b4cb34a-badc-11ee-b12b-b7f0b3080af9/65b1458814e7f.image.png?resize=1280%2C720 1333w)
1.) A bacteria called Geosmin. Geosmin lives in soil and when it gets wet it releases a special scent.
2.) In dry conditions, plants secrete oils on their leaves, through their stems, on the ground right around the plant. This oil serves almost as a blanket and keeps moisture inside the plant. When it rains, these oils start to chemically change and they become something called Petrichor. Petrichor has a very distinctive smell that we often associate with rain.
![Anello Answers It: Smell of rain Explained](https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/waaytv.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/67/16720784-badc-11ee-9222-af2843598e9a/65b14594e2643.image.png?resize=150%2C84 150w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/waaytv.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/67/16720784-badc-11ee-9222-af2843598e9a/65b14594e2643.image.png?resize=200%2C113 200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/waaytv.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/67/16720784-badc-11ee-9222-af2843598e9a/65b14594e2643.image.png?resize=225%2C127 225w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/waaytv.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/67/16720784-badc-11ee-9222-af2843598e9a/65b14594e2643.image.png?resize=300%2C169 300w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/waaytv.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/67/16720784-badc-11ee-9222-af2843598e9a/65b14594e2643.image.png?resize=400%2C225 400w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/waaytv.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/67/16720784-badc-11ee-9222-af2843598e9a/65b14594e2643.image.png?resize=540%2C304 540w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/waaytv.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/67/16720784-badc-11ee-9222-af2843598e9a/65b14594e2643.image.png?resize=640%2C360 640w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/waaytv.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/67/16720784-badc-11ee-9222-af2843598e9a/65b14594e2643.image.png?resize=750%2C422 750w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/waaytv.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/67/16720784-badc-11ee-9222-af2843598e9a/65b14594e2643.image.png?resize=990%2C557 990w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/waaytv.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/67/16720784-badc-11ee-9222-af2843598e9a/65b14594e2643.image.png?resize=1035%2C582 1035w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/waaytv.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/67/16720784-badc-11ee-9222-af2843598e9a/65b14594e2643.image.png?resize=1200%2C675 1200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/waaytv.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/67/16720784-badc-11ee-9222-af2843598e9a/65b14594e2643.image.png?resize=1280%2C720 1333w)
3.) Lastly, and as my personal favorite, lightning! When lightning strikes, due to its heat, it splits Oxygen bonds. This makes oxygen go from O2 to two sperate O1 molecules. If one of those O1 molecules were to combine with a different, standard Oxygen O2 molecule, they combine. This creates O3. While that sounds very complicated, it isn't. We know O3...it is Ozone. The Ozone layer has a very distinctive smell as well.
So, whether its a bacteria, plants, or lighting, these are the culprits of the smell that many of us have grown to favor. They might not be blissful enough for a candle, but they sure are scientific!
Got a weather question you want answered? Email ganello@waaytv.com!
Find more episodes of "Anello Answers It!" here.
![Anello Answers It: Smell of rain Explained](https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/waaytv.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/eb/1eb1134a-badc-11ee-a16d-8f4e776a2800/65b145a44ff5f.image.png?resize=150%2C84 150w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/waaytv.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/eb/1eb1134a-badc-11ee-a16d-8f4e776a2800/65b145a44ff5f.image.png?resize=200%2C113 200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/waaytv.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/eb/1eb1134a-badc-11ee-a16d-8f4e776a2800/65b145a44ff5f.image.png?resize=225%2C127 225w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/waaytv.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/eb/1eb1134a-badc-11ee-a16d-8f4e776a2800/65b145a44ff5f.image.png?resize=300%2C169 300w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/waaytv.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/eb/1eb1134a-badc-11ee-a16d-8f4e776a2800/65b145a44ff5f.image.png?resize=400%2C225 400w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/waaytv.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/eb/1eb1134a-badc-11ee-a16d-8f4e776a2800/65b145a44ff5f.image.png?resize=540%2C304 540w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/waaytv.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/eb/1eb1134a-badc-11ee-a16d-8f4e776a2800/65b145a44ff5f.image.png?resize=640%2C360 640w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/waaytv.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/eb/1eb1134a-badc-11ee-a16d-8f4e776a2800/65b145a44ff5f.image.png?resize=750%2C422 750w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/waaytv.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/eb/1eb1134a-badc-11ee-a16d-8f4e776a2800/65b145a44ff5f.image.png?resize=990%2C557 990w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/waaytv.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/eb/1eb1134a-badc-11ee-a16d-8f4e776a2800/65b145a44ff5f.image.png?resize=1035%2C582 1035w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/waaytv.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/eb/1eb1134a-badc-11ee-a16d-8f4e776a2800/65b145a44ff5f.image.png?resize=1200%2C675 1200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/waaytv.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/eb/1eb1134a-badc-11ee-a16d-8f4e776a2800/65b145a44ff5f.image.png?resize=1280%2C720 1333w)