"Petrichor (pronounced /ˈpɛtrɨkər/; from Greek petra "stone" + ichor the fluid that flows in the veins of the gods in Greek mythology) is the name of the scent of rain on dry earth. The term was coined in 1964 by two Australian researchers, Bear and Thomas, for an article in the journal Nature.[1] In the article, the authors describe how the smell derives from an oil exuded by certain plants during dry periods, whereupon it is absorbed by clay-based soils and rocks. During rain, the oil is released into the air along with another compound, geosmin, producing the distinctive scent. In a follow-up paper, Bear and Thomas (1965) showed that the oil retards seed germination and early plant growth.[2" - Anika from Bookmarklet

CWs new name iteration, made me look up the word. I've never heard it before and what a great word it is. I always wondered if that smell had a name. Bonus, I got to use it in my Scrabble game. Which pissed off my opponent who promptly resigned the came. Thanks, Chris! - Anika

it was also featured in last week's Doctor Who :) - Gunnyman™

Love the smell of rain on dry earth - comix aka martha

A wonderful word. :-) - Maitani

I wonder what the name is for rain on dray asphalt/concrete/etc. Definitely different. - c.a.j.

c • a • j — http://www.npr.org/templat... - Absentee

From the above NPR link: "So when the soil now dries out, these actinomycetes produce force. And then when it rains, the force of rain kicks up these tiny spores in the air, and it sends some really - a very pleasant aroma. It's sort of a musky smell. You'll also smell that when you are in your garden and you're turning over your soil. And that's a good indication because that tells you, you have good organic material in the soil. The soil is not too wet. It's not too dry." - Absentee

(Supplementing Anika is educational.) - Absentee