SIMS U-Pb rutile age of low-temperature eclogites from southwestern Chinese Tianshan, NW China

► Difficulties remain for dating low temperature eclogite. ► Rutile is a feasible candidate to date eclogite facies metamorphic event. ► Rutile SIMS U-Pb dating method was established. ► New U/Pb ages of 318 ± 7 Ma for rutile in low-temperature eclogites from southwestern Chinese Tianshan strongly suggest a late Carboniferous eclogite-facies metamorphism.