Most people know what it’s like in times when it rains almost every day, but few realize that there are some who can actually smell the rain coming. These people can predict rain on the horizon due to a smell analogous to the one that is typical after rain. This claim has even started debates on social media.
People Can Smell Rain Coming
The fact that people can smell the rain before it comes has divided public opinion. Some believe they can definitely smell it, and others who can’t are certain that smelling rain before it arrives is a myth. So, what does science have to say to prove or disprove this one? Apparently, there is evidence to prove that some people actually do have that ability.
The ability to smell the rain before it arrives has a lot to do with the ability to smell the scent of petrichor, which occurs after rain. This smell is produced by a chemical called geosmin, and it is produced by a soil bacteria that releases it. The human body’s ability to smell geosmin is pretty impressive, beyond even the ability of sharks to detect blood. Petrichor becomes most prevalent after rain. The raindrops hit the ground and flatten it, and then it traps pockets of air that bubble up like tiny aerosols and takes whatever chemicals and microorganisms happen to be around. The smell appears when they are released into the air.
Ozone Smells of an Incoming Storm
How people can smell the rain before it arrives is related to the chemical ozone, which also has a distinct smell, but it is even sweeter than petrichor, making it detectable. The scent of ozone can indicate the near arrival of rain because some ozone gas is pushed to the ground by the winds originating from an approaching storm. This means that the ozone in the air is at the level in which human nostrils are likely to pick them up.
The argument should be settled by this data and the opinion of scientists, but it is still ongoing because some people are completely unable to detect ozone in the same way with their noses.