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To: sionnsar
Smells like smoke here. It was about 107o

I read this once so I looked it up again. :

One of the more pleasant rain smells, the one we often notice in the woods, is actually caused by bacteria! Actinomycetes, a type of filamentous bacteria, grow in soil when conditions are damp and warm. When the soil dries out, the bacteria produces spores in the soil. The wetness and force of rainfall kick these tiny spores up into the air where the moisture after a rain acts as an aerosol (just like an aerosol air freshener). The moist air easily carries the spores to us so we breathe them in. These spores have a distinctive, earthy smell we often associate with rainfall. The bacteria is extremely common and can be found in areas all over the world, which accounts for the universality of this sweet "after-the-rain" smell.

1,322 posted on 08/28/2009 7:06:39 PM PDT by ThomasThomas (Your It.)
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To: ThomasThomas

Not surprised it smells like smoke there. Just glad Actinomycetes doesn’t grow in lungs!


1,323 posted on 08/28/2009 7:19:08 PM PDT by sionnsar (IranAzadi|5yst3m 0wn3d-it's N0t Y0ur5:SONY|Remember Neda Agha-Soltan|TV--it's NOT news you can trust)
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