Why does rain 'have a smell'?

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) – As we march into the fall, some parts of the country are seeing rainfall for the first time in a while. Sometimes when it has not rained for a long time, there is a distinct smell that accompanies the rain – but why?In 1964, Australian scientists coined the term "petrichor" for the unique scent of rain. The word can be split in two with the first being "petri," which means "rock" in Greek, and the second being "chor," which is the blood that flows through Gr