Ever wonder why it smells fresh after it rains? Back in 1964, two Australian scientists, Isabel Joy Bear and R. G. Thomas, began to study on this scent that is produced by the rain. They coined the term petrichor which is a pair of Greek root words for stone and the blood of the gods to explain the aroma. They determined that the scent is mainly caused by a blend of oils produced by plants during arid periods. When a storm comes after a drought the oils that have accumulated over time in the rocks are mixed and dispersed into the air. These oils mix with compounds in the air and produce the fresh smell of rain scent!