Part of petrichor, the delish earthy smell released when rain hits parched ground, is geosmin,a compound from soil bacteria-human👃s can detect it in lower concentrations than sharks can detect blood in water. Seeking out water on dry plains was essential for our ancestors. Here’s a geosmin molecule:
August 18, 2026 at 10:26 AM
Part of petrichor, the delish earthy smell released when rain hits parched ground, is geosmin,a compound from soil bacteria-human👃s can detect it in lower concentrations than sharks can detect blood in water. Seeking out water on dry plains was essential for our ancestors. Here’s a geosmin molecule:
...still absolutely adore the scent of geosmin- so much so that it's now the basis of some chic perfumes.
Geosmin is also the distinctive earthy taste in beetroots...
Geosmin: the molecule you might be smelling rn:
Geosmin is also the distinctive earthy taste in beetroots...
Geosmin: the molecule you might be smelling rn:
July 15, 2025 at 5:59 PM
...still absolutely adore the scent of geosmin- so much so that it's now the basis of some chic perfumes.
Geosmin is also the distinctive earthy taste in beetroots...
Geosmin: the molecule you might be smelling rn:
Geosmin is also the distinctive earthy taste in beetroots...
Geosmin: the molecule you might be smelling rn:
The answer is 'geosmin', a specific sesquiterpenoid compound in the mixture we call 'petrichor' that produces the 'smell of rain' after raindrops fall on dry topsoil.
The human nose detects geosmin at <0.4 parts per billion (ppb), while a shark detects blood at 10 ppb.
The human nose detects geosmin at <0.4 parts per billion (ppb), while a shark detects blood at 10 ppb.
September 13, 2024 at 12:37 PM
The answer is 'geosmin', a specific sesquiterpenoid compound in the mixture we call 'petrichor' that produces the 'smell of rain' after raindrops fall on dry topsoil.
The human nose detects geosmin at <0.4 parts per billion (ppb), while a shark detects blood at 10 ppb.
The human nose detects geosmin at <0.4 parts per billion (ppb), while a shark detects blood at 10 ppb.
Did you know that you're just able to buy Geosmin, the chemical responsible for petrichor, the smell after it's rained on earth that humans can smell at extremely low concentrations??
I am going to have fun making a custom perfume with this 🥰
I am going to have fun making a custom perfume with this 🥰
April 29, 2026 at 11:43 AM
Did you know that you're just able to buy Geosmin, the chemical responsible for petrichor, the smell after it's rained on earth that humans can smell at extremely low concentrations??
I am going to have fun making a custom perfume with this 🥰
I am going to have fun making a custom perfume with this 🥰
who wants to learn a scent thing I just learned
geosmin is the compound responsible for the smell of rain on dry soil which I already knew but apparently we're 200000x more sensitive to it than sharks are to blood, a dilution equivalent to 1 teaspoon in 200 olympic pools????
geosmin is the compound responsible for the smell of rain on dry soil which I already knew but apparently we're 200000x more sensitive to it than sharks are to blood, a dilution equivalent to 1 teaspoon in 200 olympic pools????
September 28, 2026 at 10:33 PM
who wants to learn a scent thing I just learned
geosmin is the compound responsible for the smell of rain on dry soil which I already knew but apparently we're 200000x more sensitive to it than sharks are to blood, a dilution equivalent to 1 teaspoon in 200 olympic pools????
geosmin is the compound responsible for the smell of rain on dry soil which I already knew but apparently we're 200000x more sensitive to it than sharks are to blood, a dilution equivalent to 1 teaspoon in 200 olympic pools????
premierepeau.com/pages/glossa...
www.acsh.org/news/2018/07...
first site fumbled the shark comparison but the 5 parts per trillion is corroborated with ACSH.
www.acsh.org/news/2018/07...
first site fumbled the shark comparison but the 5 parts per trillion is corroborated with ACSH.
Geosmin: Why We Like The Smell Of Air After A Storm
Though human noses get dismissed as amateurs as compared to the snouts on some animals, there is one compound where we do really well. We can smell geosmin, a chemical released by dead microbes at a l...
www.acsh.org
September 28, 2026 at 10:35 PM
premierepeau.com/pages/glossa...
www.acsh.org/news/2018/07...
first site fumbled the shark comparison but the 5 parts per trillion is corroborated with ACSH.
www.acsh.org/news/2018/07...
first site fumbled the shark comparison but the 5 parts per trillion is corroborated with ACSH.
April 27, 2025 at 1:55 AM
New study out from my group showing how the volatile geosmin (the wonderful 'smell of dirt') serves as a cue to influence the behavior of soil protists rdcu.be/edCJj
Effects of Geosmin on the Behavior of Soil Protists
rdcu.be
March 17, 2025 at 7:56 PM
New study out from my group showing how the volatile geosmin (the wonderful 'smell of dirt') serves as a cue to influence the behavior of soil protists rdcu.be/edCJj
...and what you're smelling is that exact molecule - geosmin. I think this is beyond cool.
July 15, 2025 at 6:11 PM
...and what you're smelling is that exact molecule - geosmin. I think this is beyond cool.
ok I looked this up and it's due to geosmin, the main component of petrichor en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geosmin
Geosmin - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
April 6, 2026 at 12:48 PM
ok I looked this up and it's due to geosmin, the main component of petrichor en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geosmin
yea I'm cooking
August 26, 2026 at 3:47 AM
yea I'm cooking
Terpenes unite the graphics for day 21 of #ChemAdvent
Menthol in candy canes is responsible for the cooling sensation in your mouth when you eat one ❄️
The muddy flavour of carp is dominated by the compound geosmin, another terpene 🐟
#ChemSky 🧪
Menthol in candy canes is responsible for the cooling sensation in your mouth when you eat one ❄️
The muddy flavour of carp is dominated by the compound geosmin, another terpene 🐟
#ChemSky 🧪
December 21, 2025 at 10:15 AM
Terpenes unite the graphics for day 21 of #ChemAdvent
Menthol in candy canes is responsible for the cooling sensation in your mouth when you eat one ❄️
The muddy flavour of carp is dominated by the compound geosmin, another terpene 🐟
#ChemSky 🧪
Menthol in candy canes is responsible for the cooling sensation in your mouth when you eat one ❄️
The muddy flavour of carp is dominated by the compound geosmin, another terpene 🐟
#ChemSky 🧪
til the chemical structure of geosmin is two conjoined carbon rings. tomori....
October 4, 2025 at 11:38 PM
til the chemical structure of geosmin is two conjoined carbon rings. tomori....
It’s so interesting that geosmin, the chemical that makes that odor, is detectable to the human nose at like 5 parts per trillion. This weird chemical released only when dry soil is rained on, we can smell better than sharks can smell blood in water.
April 1, 2025 at 11:40 PM
It’s so interesting that geosmin, the chemical that makes that odor, is detectable to the human nose at like 5 parts per trillion. This weird chemical released only when dry soil is rained on, we can smell better than sharks can smell blood in water.
Geosmin: a substance produced by soil bacteria, especially species of the genus Streptomyces. These tiny organisms decompose dead plant matter and return nutrients to the soil. They thus work quietly to keep ecosystems healthy.
July 25, 2026 at 8:39 AM
Geosmin: a substance produced by soil bacteria, especially species of the genus Streptomyces. These tiny organisms decompose dead plant matter and return nutrients to the soil. They thus work quietly to keep ecosystems healthy.
March 30, 2025 at 9:58 PM
Thank you @tunibarks.bsky.social for making loafs of my weather boys geosmin and petrichor
June 3, 2025 at 12:57 AM
Thank you @tunibarks.bsky.social for making loafs of my weather boys geosmin and petrichor
geosmin is nature's SSRI
fully convinced there's stuff in the dirt your brain needs exposure to
September 17, 2024 at 11:40 PM
geosmin is nature's SSRI
That fresh smell after rain is called petrichor.
When raindrops hit dry soil, they release plant oils and geosmin creating that rich, earthy scent.
When raindrops hit dry soil, they release plant oils and geosmin creating that rich, earthy scent.
March 2, 2026 at 1:37 AM
That fresh smell after rain is called petrichor.
When raindrops hit dry soil, they release plant oils and geosmin creating that rich, earthy scent.
When raindrops hit dry soil, they release plant oils and geosmin creating that rich, earthy scent.
ykk…the manga where you can feel the geosmin and humidity coming off the pages
August 7, 2025 at 3:38 PM
ykk…the manga where you can feel the geosmin and humidity coming off the pages
May 27, 2026 at 10:00 PM
RAIN!-just stood out in it bc HEAVENLY but also to sniff that delicious scent from the parched ground-petrichor.
The scent of petrichor consists of geosmin, a molecule released by bacteria & blue-green algae in the soil &plant oils (phytoncides) released when rain hits leaves.
Human noses can... (🧵)
The scent of petrichor consists of geosmin, a molecule released by bacteria & blue-green algae in the soil &plant oils (phytoncides) released when rain hits leaves.
Human noses can... (🧵)
a dirt road in the woods during a rainstorm
ALT: a dirt road in the woods during a rainstorm
media.tenor.com
July 15, 2025 at 5:56 PM
RAIN!-just stood out in it bc HEAVENLY but also to sniff that delicious scent from the parched ground-petrichor.
The scent of petrichor consists of geosmin, a molecule released by bacteria & blue-green algae in the soil &plant oils (phytoncides) released when rain hits leaves.
Human noses can... (🧵)
The scent of petrichor consists of geosmin, a molecule released by bacteria & blue-green algae in the soil &plant oils (phytoncides) released when rain hits leaves.
Human noses can... (🧵)
