i love rain
2007-10-10 12:03:06 · 6 answers · asked by Rocky 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Weather
The peculiar smell immediately after a rain is due to certain volatile chemical compounds released by a group of soil-inhabiting bacteria called streptomycetes.
These bacteria is abundant in dry warm soil.When this dry soil is wetted by rain,the above bacteria releases compounds such as geosmin and methyl isoborneol which give the odour.The smell can be felt in a newly ploughed fields also.
2007-10-10 17:18:12 · answer #1 · answered by Arasan 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I love the rain, some people get sad when it rains and is really overcast. I love it, I love the smell and the feel in the atmosphere just before it starts to rain.
Listening and watching the rain can really lift my mood. But maybe I'm just weird.
2007-10-10 20:25:20 · answer #2 · answered by citygirl781 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't believe it is ozone. Ozone is formed locally near lightning strikes but is not generally present in rainstorms, and besides, ozone does not smell good (well, at least from my experience from making sparks and riding electric bumper cars). I think it is actually due to a type of bacteria that becomes active after rainstorms, Actinomycetes. There are lots of other things that smell good after rain too. I remember the smell of wet sagebrush in Arizona and west Texas after rain and it was really sweet. You can find out more at http://science.howstuffworks.com/question479.htm
2007-10-10 12:53:32 · answer #3 · answered by pegminer 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
the bacteria answers are the right ones... i just learned it microbiology and its totally ruined that smell for me now
2007-10-10 23:37:59 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
it;s true about the smell
2007-10-10 16:18:28 · answer #5 · answered by w.sherita 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is ozone...smells great.
2007-10-10 12:12:16 · answer #6 · answered by prudicat 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋