It’s that noticeably earthy, sometimes sweet scent that happens only after a big rainstorm. What gives? Here’s the ...

There are few surer heralds of spring than petrichor. It’s the earthy aroma that wafts up after a good rain and comes primarily from chemical compounds called terpenes. Geosmin, for example, is a ...

MARION, Ohio — Some Marion residents continue to report an unusual taste and smell in their drinking water, prompting additional testing and treatment by Aqua Ohio and oversight from the Ohio ...

The unique scent of rain may actually be a chemical signal used by bacteria to attract this tiny arthropod, called a springtail. Ryan Hodnett via Flickr under Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY ...

The latest short science news items from C&EN. For mosquitoes, geosmin smells like the perfect place to lay eggs—possibly, Stensmyr says, because cyanobacteria are a good food source for mosquito ...

Spring has sprung — and in many parts of the world, you can smell it. The air might smell sweeter, with notes of budding florals and pollen. But there are complex parts of the scent, too, more ...

Chemists have figured out precisely how the warm, slightly metallic scent of freshly turned soil is made. The team describes how geosmin, the organic compound responsible for the scent, is produced by ...

You know that moment when you step outside and just sense it? Something in the air shifts. The atmosphere feels heavier, almost electric. People have always claimed they can smell rain coming, long ...

It turns out it's not just gratitude that makes rain smell so appealing after a long period of dry weather. There's actually some chemistry involved too. Bacteria, plants and even lightning can all ...