Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • 61 views

    Petrichor The Smell of Rain

    Uploaded by

    charles
    Petrichor is the earthy smell produced when rain falls on dry soil. It is caused by several factors: ozone and other compounds produced when lightning splits oxygen and nitrogen molecules; geosmin, a compound secreted by soil bacteria, is released from soil into the air by raindrops; and volatile plant oils like stearic acid and palmitic acid accumulate in dry soil and are released when it rains.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Petrichor The Smell of Rain

    Uploaded by

    charles
    61 views1 page
    Petrichor is the earthy smell produced when rain falls on dry soil. It is caused by several factors: ozone and other compounds produced when lightning splits oxygen and nitrogen molecules; geosmin, a compound secreted by soil bacteria, is released from soil into the air by raindrops; and volatile plant oils like stearic acid and palmitic acid accumulate in dry soil and are released when it rains.

    Original Title

    Petrichor the Smell of Rain

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

    Available Formats

    PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    Petrichor is the earthy smell produced when rain falls on dry soil. It is caused by several factors: ozone and other compounds produced when lightning splits oxygen and nitrogen molecules; geosmin, a compound secreted by soil bacteria, is released from soil into the air by raindrops; and volatile plant oils like stearic acid and palmitic acid accumulate in dry soil and are released when it rains.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    61 views1 page

    Petrichor The Smell of Rain

    Uploaded by

    charles
    Petrichor is the earthy smell produced when rain falls on dry soil. It is caused by several factors: ozone and other compounds produced when lightning splits oxygen and nitrogen molecules; geosmin, a compound secreted by soil bacteria, is released from soil into the air by raindrops; and volatile plant oils like stearic acid and palmitic acid accumulate in dry soil and are released when it rains.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 1

    PETRICHOR

    The Smell of Rain

    What is Petrichor?
    Petrichor is the term coined by Australian
    scientists in 1964 to describe the unique, earthy
    smell associated with rain. It is caused by the
    water from the rain, along with certain
    compounds like ozone, geosmin, and plant oils. Source: http://bit.ly/1SuALTT

    When lightning strikes,


    diatomic molecules of oxygen
    and nitrogen (containing 2 Oxygen (O2)
    atoms) are split, and rearrange
    to create nitric oxide (NO)
    and ozone, or O3. Ozone
    molecules are carried down
    by droplets of rain
    to contribute to the scent.

    Ozone
    http://1.usa.gov/1rWDogS
    Ozone (O3)

    and Lightning
    Percent Composition of Geosmin Actinomycetes, a type of
    Oxygen
    8.77%
    bacteria found in soil, secrete a
    compound called geosmin ,
    Hydrogen
    12.17% which is released from soil into
    the air by raindrops. Geosmin
    in the air can be detected by
    Carbon
    79.06%
    the human nose at less than 5
    parts per trillion

    Geosmin (C12H22O)
    http://bit.ly/1nOBMcK

    Geosmin
    During dry weather, plants Stearic acid and palmitic acid are
    produce compounds that common plant oils. They are fatty
    accumulate in between rocks acids, long hydrocarbon chains
    with a carboxyl group on one end
    and in soil. When it rains, these
    and a methyl group on the other.   
    compounds are released into
    the air to add to the earthy http://bit.ly/1nKLMD2 http://bit.ly/1SwmdmB

    smell of petrichor.

    Stearic Acid (C18H36O2) Carboxyl Group Methyl Group


    and
    Palmitic Acid (C16H32O2) http://bit.ly/1L1RBl1

    Volatile Sources:
    http://bbc.in/1ICzmT8 http://bit.ly/1rAJanV

    Plant Oils
    http://bit.ly/1PXRdv9
    http://bit.ly/1klGFph
    http://1.usa.gov/20d92WN
    By M. Prunier

    You might also like