Shining a light on solar impacts

A review article of solar effects upon climate was published in Nature Climate Change today and finds considerable uncertainly in estimates of solar forcing of climate based upon the Total Solar Irradiance (TSI). The article also suggests that TSI may not be the best indicator of solar variability because solar UV has been found to vary much more than previously thought. Solar UV is the most energetic portion of the solar spectrum and causes the most significant heating of the oceans. The IPCC and climate models look only at TSI, without consideration of the significant variations in solar UV, and therefore likely underestimate the influence of the Sun upon climate change.