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“Solar Flux” is a measurement of the strength of the sun’s magnetic field and is measured via a radio telescope.

The magnetic field’s strength is, like sunspot activity to which it is closely linked, an indicator for the brightness of the sun.

When the value is high, when there are many sunspots, the sun cranks out a little extra energy and the result is that Earth heats up too.

But when the value is low (the 64-68 range for solar flux is as low as has been observed), when there are no sunspots, the sun is slightly dimmer and the result is global cooling.

Right now the sun has been unusually quiet as Solar Cycle 23 has come to its end but Solar Cycle 24 has not started. Really, there has been no global warming since around 1998 and the present trend is for cooling.

I've been following that too, I'm an amateur radio operator. Looks like 10 and 6 meter DX will be rare for a while. B-P I know in previous times when the Sun was active, sometimes we would hear the Cubans over our VHF-Lo fire channel on 33.760 Mc when those signals would skip. Another time, our fire department would chat with others far away, even as far as Arizona. I have radio books from the 1930's to the 1950's that seem to point out a 22 year cycle where the Sun's poles would flip in addition to the 11 year suspot cycle plus another Freeper here mentioned an 88 year cycle too. Getting back to the police scanner, I remember in the 1980's and 1990's, I've heard police skip as far away as Texas and California. Other catches I had was the British Army on maneuvers somewhere on 34.500 Mc and also the South African Police.