Trivia

In his March 25th article in the New York Times, Nicholas St. Fleur explains the unmistakable smell of spring:

“Beneath our feet, countless microbes called Streptomyces release chemicals as they awaken and warm up this season.  Streptomyces bacteria spew geosmin as a weapon against other bacteria in the soil where they live.  Geosmin produces a distinct smell known as petrichor, which we recognize as the earthy scent following a rainstorm.”

You can read about the science behind this and seven other signs of spring in Nicholas’ article here.