The smell of rain, known as petrichor, is stronger after a prolonged drought because organic compounds and microbial byproducts accumulate in the soil during the dry period and are then quickly released when the rain displaces them.
What Creates This Smell?
- Plant oils: Plants release fatty oils and aromatic-like compounds from their roots and leaves. During a drought, these oils become concentrated on small soil surfaces because they don't evaporate or break down easily.
- Microbial byproducts: Soil microbes produce volatile substances such as ozone and various volatile organic compounds. With little rainfall, these substances build up in the soil, waiting to be released.
How Rain Releases Them
When rain finally falls, the water displaces these accumulated compounds, carrying them into the atmosphere in the form of tiny droplets. The rapid impact of raindrops and the subsequent aeration make these scents especially noticeable, creating petrichor's distinctive, strong aroma.
This phenomenon was first described by I. J. Bear in , who coined the term petrichor. The intensity of the smell depends on how long the drought has lasted, how much water the soil contains, and the amount of plant oils and microbial metabolites present.
¡Me encanta lo bien que el artículo explica por qué la lluvia huele tan fuerte después de una sequía! Es un fenómeno increíble.
Este es uno de esos artículos que realmente te hace apreciar el simple placer de la lluvia; es tan completo y entretenido.
¿Sabías que los aceites vegetales y los subproductos microbianos se acumulan durante la sequía? El artículo lo explica perfectamente.