= Chlorine monoxide dimer cycle
{title2=$\mathrm{ClO+ClO+M\rightleftharpoons ClOOCl+M}$}
A low-temperature catalytic <ozone> destruction pathway involving ClO association to ClOOCl, <photodissociation> of the dimer and regeneration of <chlorine> atoms. Combined with two Cl + O3 reactions its net effect is $2\mathrm O_3\to3\mathrm O_2$. Low <temperature> suppresses thermal dimer dissociation, while sunlight is needed for the photolytic step. <Polar stratospheric clouds> can activate reservoir <chlorine> before the sunlit cycle becomes rapid.
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