Petrichor (pronounced
/ˈpɛtrɨkər/; from
Greek petra "stone" +
ichor the fluid that flows in the veins of the gods in Greek mythology) is the name of the
scent of
rain on dry earth.
The term was coined in 1964 by two
Australian researchers, Bear and Thomas, for an article in the journal
Nature.
[1] 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.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petrichor#cite_note-Bear1965-1
The word was featured in the
Doctor Who episode
"The Doctor's Wife", Written by:
Neil Gaiman, as part of a telepathic password to enter one of the
TARDIS's old control rooms. To use it, Amy Pond had to imagine the smell of dust after rain.
In
"Closing Time", Written by: Gareth Roberts, Amy is seen on an advertisement for a perfume with the same name, it shows a picture of her face and features a bottle of perfume and the phrase: "Petrichor - For the girl who's tired of waiting".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petrichor#cite_note-Bear1965-1
