How Does the Variance in Block Discovery Impact a Miner’s Income under PPLNS?

Under PPLNS, income is directly tied to the successful discovery of blocks. If the pool experiences a period of 'bad luck' and finds fewer blocks than statistically expected, the miner's income will be lower during that period.

Conversely, a 'lucky' streak of finding blocks faster than expected will lead to a temporary increase in income. This variance introduces short-term unpredictability to a miner's earnings.