The smell in the air right before it rains you think wow! Maybe I’m a psychic. Well, this smell is not just in your head! There’s a cool reason behind why you can smell rain before it even starts.
The main reason is a combination of things happening in the air and ground during dry spells,plants release oils that soak into soil. When rain finally comes, it splashes onto the ground, and those oils get released into the air. This creates a distinct,earthy smell that we recognize
Another key player is a compound called geosmin. Its made by bacteria in the soil and it’s incredibly strong even a tiny amount can be detected by our noses.When rain hits the ground,geosmin is also released,adding to that pre-rain scent.
“Before the rain begins, one of the first odors you may notice as winds pick up and clouds roll in is a sweet, pungent zing in your nostrils. That’s the sharp, fresh aroma of ozone,” Daisy Yuhon
storms often bring ozone from higher up in the atmosphere down to ground level
Ozone has a sharp,clean smell, sometimes you’re actually smelling the ozone carried by the storms clouds before the rain even begins
So, the next time you notice that special smell in the air you’re experiencing a mix of plant oils,bacteria and even ozone all working together to announce that rain is on its way. It’s like natures way of giving you a heads up.