The relative significance of solar variability and other forcings of climate change during the industrial era is an area of ongoing research.

This paper disagrees with the conclusions of a Scafetta and West study, who claim that solar variability has a significant effect on climate forcing.

First, he says, the data on solar variability before 1978 are unreliable.

Indeed, studies show that solar variability has played a role in past climate changes.

This period is a natural example of solar variation, and one of many that are known from proxy records of past solar variability.

Interestingly, a 2010 study suggests, "that the effects of solar variability on temperature throughout the atmosphere may be contrary to current expectations."

With Soon, Baliunas investigated the correlation between solar variability and temperatures of the Earth's atmosphere.

In his search to determine more about solar variability, Gilliland has now been forced to unravel the complexities of recent climatic changes on Earth.

The best fit of all between theory and reality comes, however, when Gilliland adds the third factor, solar variability.

The physics of how solar variability manages to influence weather remains unclear.