Lovely rain... but a recurring question...

[sbisson]

Thunder is rumbling around South London, and the heavens have opened, cooling things down nicely after a busy day involving furniture construction, an interesting press event, and a hot afternoon's shopping for this year's summer wardobe...

But, as marypcb and I were walking back down the road from the tube station it was just starting to spit with rain, leaving us with a question that keeps coming back: what is it that makes that lovely smell of rain on warm pavements?

Comments

[nmg.livejournal.com]

New Scientist had something about this on its back page (The Last Word) a few years ago. The upshot was that the smell is due to Streptomyces bacteria - you can read the full answer online.

[sbisson.livejournal.com]

AKICILJ!

Thanks!

[flickgc.livejournal.com]

Don't know about that, but the word is Petrichor (http://www.livejournal.com/interests.bml?int=petrichor)!

[sbisson.livejournal.com]

You learn something new every day! [g]

Beaten to it!

[muninnhuginn]

Darn! I thought I could be the clever sod to provide tha all-important word! Good word and even better smel.

[nmg.livejournal.com]

If it weren't for the fact that petrichor is in the OED, I'd accuse you of making that word up.

Does this mean that the English language is now complete?

[flickgc.livejournal.com]

I must confess to having a similar thought when I heard the word, as well!