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The Poland-AOD aerosol research network was established in 2011 to improve aerosol–climate interaction knowledge and provide a real-time and historical, comprehensive, and quantitative database for the aerosol optical properties distribution over Poland. The network consists of research institutions and private owners operating 10 measurement stations and an organization responsible for aerosol model transport simulations. Poland-AOD collaboration provides observations of spectral aerosol optical depth (AOD), Ångstrom Exponent (AE), incoming shortwave (SW) and longwave (LW) radiation fluxes, vertical profiles of aerosol optical properties and surface aerosol scattering and absorption coefficient, as well as microphysical particle properties. Based on the radiative transfer model (RTM), the aerosol radiative forcing (ARF) and the heating rate are simulated. In addition, results from GEM-AQ and WRF-Chem models (e.g., aerosol mass mixing ratio and optical properties for several particle chemical components), and HYSPLIT back-trajectories are used to interpret the results of observation and to describe the 3D aerosol optical properties distribution. Results of Poland-AOD research indicate progressive improvement of air quality and at mospheric turbidity during the last decade. The AOD was reduced by about 0.02/10 yr (at 550 nm), which corresponds to positive trends in ARF. The estimated clear-sky ARF trend is 0.34 W/m2/10 yr and 0.68 W/m2/10 yr, respectively, at TOA and at Earth’s surface. Therefore, reduction in aerosol load observed in Poland can significantly contribute to climate warming.

Over the last 71 years, the air temperature in Poland has increased on average by 0.28 °C per decade—which gives a total change in this period exceeding 2 °C. The subject of this study was an analysis of the long-term variability of the Polish climate in terms of thermal characteristics. The aim of the research was to verify the hypothesis on the lack of homogeneity of this change and to identify points of significant acceleration of the observed tendencies. The analysis utilized the average monthly air temperature at selected synoptic stations in Poland over the period 1951–2021. The values were then processed into a reference series using Alexandersson’s method, which provided synthetic information on the variability in thermal conditions in the country. The analyses were carried out on an annual and seasonal basis. The values of the trend coefficients (and their statistical significance) were also calculated in shorter periods (minimum 30 years), which enabled determination of the stability of the observed changes’ tendencies. In addition to the analysis of the basic characteristics, non-parametric tests (Wilcoxon, Kruskal–Wallis) were used to verify shifts between decades. The annual and seasonal analyses showed the existence of sub-periods with different directions and scales of the observed tendencies. Additionally, statistically significant changes in decadal characteristics were noted, e.g., in the decades 2001–2010 and 2011–2020 in the case of annual temperature, and 1961–1970 and 1971–1980 in the case of the winter season.