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For promethia, lonewytch, janie_aire et al.
Petrichor is the scent of rain on dry earth. The word is constructed from Greek, petra, meaning stone + ichor, the fluid that flows in the veins of the gods in Greek mythology.
The term was coined in 1964 by two Australian researchers, Bear and Thomas, for an article in the journal Nature. In the article, the authors describe how the smell derives from an oil exuded by certain plants during dry periods, whereupon it is absorbed by clay-based soils and rocks. During rain, the oil is released into the air along with another compound, geosmin, producing the distinctive scent. In a follow-up paper, Bear and Thomas (1965) showed that the oil retards seed germination and early plant growth.
The family watched The Doctor's Wife last night, and afterwards Darcy came up to me and began talking about what a neat word 'petrichor' was and where the meaning came from. I'm sure you can see why I had to share.
(Oh and I changed my banner, because... Well, you can't go wrong with a well-placed Princess Bride quote! *g* Spoilers for the DW S6 finale, I guess, although they're pretty vague.)
The term was coined in 1964 by two Australian researchers, Bear and Thomas, for an article in the journal Nature. In the article, the authors describe how the smell derives from an oil exuded by certain plants during dry periods, whereupon it is absorbed by clay-based soils and rocks. During rain, the oil is released into the air along with another compound, geosmin, producing the distinctive scent. In a follow-up paper, Bear and Thomas (1965) showed that the oil retards seed germination and early plant growth.
"Do you find it easy to get drunk on words?"
"So easy that, to tell you the truth, I am seldom perfectly sober. Which accounts for my talking so much."
Gaudy Night
The family watched The Doctor's Wife last night, and afterwards Darcy came up to me and began talking about what a neat word 'petrichor' was and where the meaning came from. I'm sure you can see why I had to share.
(Oh and I changed my banner, because... Well, you can't go wrong with a well-placed Princess Bride quote! *g* Spoilers for the DW S6 finale, I guess, although they're pretty vague.)
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Innnteresting. Wonder if there's a purpose for that.
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Nnnnot my area of expertise.
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Inquiring minds want to know!
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