The Smell of Autumn

 

Autumn has arrived with its signature sensory inputs. The crunch of leaves underfoot, the kaleidoscope of changing colors, and the distinct scents of fall.

In an 1841 letter, English poet and novelist George Eliot called the smell of fall “a perfect anodyne to the restless spirit.”

According to Theresa M. Crimmins, PhD (director of the USA National Phenology Network), autumn’s classic aroma derives mainly from decaying plant material. As leaf fall decomposes, “sugars and carbohydrates break down, emitting volatile organic compounds and other gasses that have a musky, somewhat sweet smell.” There is a regional variation in the odor, dependent on the local plants that drop leaves.

With less humidity and lower temperatures, there is a “crisp, clean feeling” attributed to fall air. “Cooler air holds fewer molecules, meaning fewer things are floating around for our noses to detect — the air is less ‘cluttered’ than during warmer, more humid seasons,” Dr. Crimmins says.

The scent of fall has an emotional charge because smell is strongly tied to memory and emotion, according to Valentine Parma, PhD, a psychologist who studies human olfaction. The direct pathway between the brain’s sensory processing center (the thalamus) to the amygdala and hippocampus evokes rapid, intense memories and emotional responses.

The Proust Phenomenon refers to the connection between smell and memory. A 2022 review of Proust Effect studies stated that nostalgic memories triggered by smell and taste are “among the most potent and influential.”

What does autumn evoke for you: pumpkin lattes, apple cider and cinnamon, fuzzy sweaters, jumping in piles of crunchy leaves and pine straw, or strolling through the brilliant woods? Do the sights, sounds, and especially scents bring back fond memories?

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