Rain, Rain…go away (or stay?)
Most of the Maryland Science Center staff are waterlogged by this point, since the rain has been unrelenting around here! It’s cold, damp and gloomy but I figure instead of pointing out the flaws of this rain, why not try to learn more about it?
Have you ever noticed that fresh, pleasant “after the rain” smell? Chances are that you have and you probably associate it with springtime. Believe it or not, this smell actually comes from bacteria! Who knew? A certain type of filamentous bacteria called Actinomycetes grow in warm, damp soil. When everything dries out, spores are produced from the bacteria, and the spores stay on the surface of the soil. When the rain hits the soil, the spores are actually jostled about and kicked up into the air. The moist air after a rainfall carries the spores and they are able to be breathed in. This is what we’re breathing in when we smell that oh-so-familiar “after the rain” scent.
Nature must be doing something right, since everything from laundry detergent to candles to air fresheners are available in some sort of fresh rain scent.
Here’s another fun rain fact:
Raindrops are not actually tear-shaped! Normal raindrops are spheres and extra large raindrops can turn into ovals, but nary a tear drop shape to be found from the great wide sky!
