MUNDANE MYSTERIES: What causes the smell after it rains?

the rain is falling in a puddle in the garden

MUNDANE MYSTERIES: What causes the smell after it rains?

We haven’t had a ton of rain this summer, but when we have you probably noticed that distinctive smell that happens once the rain ends. But where does that smell come from?

There’s actually a name for it… petrichor. Basically all the oil from various plants falls off and dries on the ground. Then when it rains, that oil combines with a type of bacteria to produce the smell that we all know and love so well. If you’re lucky you even get a rainbow to go along with it.

Image credit: Getty Images