Did you know the smell of rain has a name? Here's the science behind it

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) -- After a rainstorm, you probably have noticed a scent in the air that likely smells like something in between damp soil and freshly watered plants. Did you know that specific smell has a name?

Two Australian researchers first proposed the term "petrichor" to describe the pleasant smell of rain in the 1960s. The prefix "petr" refers to stone and "ichor" refers to an essence from the source material.

The researchers, Isabel Joy Bear and Richard Thomas, found that the dry source material should be exposed to warm air for a long period of time before it becomes wet. They also found that materials in which silica or were rich in iron oxide exhibited the strongest petrichor smell.

In India, the scent is referred to as "mitti ka attar" and, for several centuries, has been captured and sold as a perfume. To accomplish this, workers use a traditional method of steam-distilling baked clay disks that were previously exposed to the sun during hot summer months.

Then, the distillers absorb the clay essence of the vapor with sandalwood oil, the base of all "attars," or scented oils.

Researchers say rain also brings pleasant fragrances out from many plants. Some plants secrete oils during dry periods and release them into the air during a rain event.

Another contributor to the smell of rain is ozone, which has a scent reminiscent of chlorine. During a storm, lightning can split oxygen and nitrogen molecules in the atmosphere. When they recombine and interact with other chemicals in the atmosphere, ozone is formed.

This is often why some people say they can "smell" a storm coming before rain actually hits the ground.