06/18/2026
Greetings from Fort Selden!
Did you know the official timeline of monsoon season is June 15-Sept. 30? While the exact arrival and departure may vary, many of the characteristics of the storm stay constant, such as the smell that fills the air before and after rain falls upon the desert.
New Mexico arguably has the best rain smell due to the unique blend of aromas that are produced from desert storms. The smell of rain is known as petrichor, an earthy scent that is released when raindrops hit the dry, desert floor. While the “rain smell” itself is technically known as petrichor, the smell is produced from various combined environmental factors.
Actinomycetes are a soil-dwelling bacteria that prosper in moist soil. As the soil dries out, they produce spores in the dirt to survive, creating a chemical compound called geosmin as a byproduct. When rain begins to fall on the dry soil, it kicks up the geosmin compound, releasing an earthy aroma into the air. In the damp air, geosmin mixes seamlessly with airborne oils from the creosote bush. The creosote bush has waxy leaves to survive in the harsh desert sun, but once graced with raindrops, they release stored organic oils such as camphor. Once the creosote oils are mixed with bacteria like the geosmin, we are left with the iconic sweet and earthy after-rain smell!
