PHOENIX — Why does it smell like rain but there's no water coming out of the sky?
First, rain does not have a smell, despite what our nose is telling us. What you're noticing in the atmosphere is responding to the higher humidity which is a precursor to rain.
The pores of rocks and soil become trapped with the excess moisture in the air, forcing some of the oils to be released in the air. It's called "petrichor."
The word comes from the Greek works "petra" meaning stone, and "ichor" which in Greek mythology refers to the golden fluid that flows in the veins of the immortals. According to the American Chemical Society website, the term was coined by Australian scientists in 1964.
The strongest "rain smell" happens when rainfall actually arrives.
Raindrops landing on dusty or clay soils trap tiny air bubbles on the surface which then shoot upward, like a glass of Champagne, and burst out of the drop throwing aerosols of scent into the air where they are then distributed by wind.
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