Before talking directly about the causes of the specific aroma after the rain and its beneficial characteristic, I would just like to talk about how wonderful this very phenomenon is - rain, and plunge into that primitive state, which ignores the fear of water falling from the sky.
Let's remember how in the childhood we perceived the rain. Not at all like many now. With joyful exclamations, we ran out under a soft mushroom rain or a heavy shower, turned our faces to the sky and tried to catch small droplets of live, seemed to us, water. Satisfied we paddled in the puddles barefoot, jumped and fell, weaving all the clothes that were not important to us. And what a pleasure it was to run paper boats along streams after the rain!
All this is familiar to many. Growing up, we forget about many pleasures, including the fact that rain can bring joy. We always have an umbrella at hand, but do not place it near, as it immediately starts to drizzle, and then we are angry and wet hurry to the canopy or scold nature for an unexpected surprise.
Such a different rain
Each rain causes different associations and memories. Surely many people like to watch the rain from a cozy cafe, sipping a mug of hot tea with a slice of pie, or sitting on the windowsill in his apartment from an open window to watch the wet city and with a pleasant sadness think about the eternal.
Like every person, the rain has its own character. It can be summer and easy, cruel and merciless. But whatever the rain, it is he who feeds all life on earth, thanks to him grow trees and flowers, animals get a drink, rivers and water bodies maintain their level. Without rain, nothing could exist on earth.
The secret of clean air
Surely you paid attention to how fresh the air becomes after, as it will rain. The essence of this phenomenon is that after the rain the air is saturated with negatively charged ions, responsible for our high vital activity, active brain work, etc. The less such ions in the air we breathe, the more tired we feel and the weaker our immunity. Negatively charged ions purify the air of harmful substances, fetid gases, kill harmful microbes. So after the rain did not sit at home, you will go out into the street, get some fresh air, because thanks to the rain all the city dust settles, the dirt is washed off and the stuffiness disappears. It's time for a walk!
Why there is a smell after a rain
Another phenomenon associated with the rain is the special smells reigning in the atmosphere after the rain. Their appearance is explained by various factors:
1 In 1964, two scientists from Australia came up with a term for the flavor after the rain. They called him Petrichor. This term is formed from two Greek words: petra (stone) and ichor (the soup is the fluid flowing in the veins of the Greek gods). This smell is formed as a result of an organic compound called geosmin (Greek - the smell of the earth). Geosmin is a product of the vital activity of bacteria living in the soil, and blue-green algae.
2 The most pleasant smell after the rain is caused by bacteria known as actinomycetes. This kind of bacteria is spread all over the earth. They grow in the soil in warm and humid conditions. In dry weather, bacteria excrete spores into the soil, and rain raises spores into the air and creates an aerosol effect.
3 A pleasant smell of freshness is also a consequence of the formation of ozone in the air. Ozone has healing properties: it destroys pathogenic bacteria, viruses and fungi in the body, helps increase the amount of oxygen in the blood, stimulates metabolism, activates the work of enzymes. Mountain air is also famous for its high ozone content.
If someone says that he smells the approaching rain, it means that he smells ozone.4 The smell after the rain can be caused by the essential oils that plants and trees give off. They accumulate oil on their surfaces, and the rain, coming into contact with them, spreads the smells through the air.
The rain is beautiful, like everything in nature. How many musicians, poets, artists he inspired to new works! Rain is unpredictable, rain is great! Love the rain the way it is, and love yourself, such as you are.