Segment Information (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended			9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Sep. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2012 item	Sep. 30, 2011
Segment Information
Number of reportable segments				2
Segment information
Revenue	$ 141,694,000		$ 206,052,000	$ 439,979,000	$ 539,237,000
Direct Operating Expenses	96,978,000		147,811,000	317,332,000	418,998,000
Depreciation and amortization	23,145,000		49,022,000	88,626,000	126,351,000
Adjusted EBITDA	32,168,000		36,920,000	72,459,000	64,815,000
Provision for income taxes	(3,634,000)		(1,882,000)	(10,776,000)	(4,710,000)
Interest expense, net of interest income	(12,699,000)		(10,951,000)	(38,274,000)	(35,041,000)
Other (income) expense	1,008,000		22,830,000	8,225,000	30,975,000
Asset impairments			(40,000,000)		(40,000,000)
Net Loss	(6,302,000)		(42,105,000)	(56,992,000)	(110,312,000)
Identifiable Assets: (at end of period)	415,713,000	514,172,000	650,308,000	415,713,000	650,308,000
Goodwill impairment charges		132,400,000	132,400,000
Seismic Data Acquisition
Segment information
Number of reporting units				3
Revenue	139,835,000		203,772,000	433,470,000	532,784,000
Direct Operating Expenses	95,578,000		146,577,000	312,557,000	414,087,000
Depreciation and amortization	21,481,000		47,341,000	83,702,000	121,497,000
Adjusted EBITDA	37,964,000		47,358,000	98,399,000	89,787,000
Identifiable Assets: (at end of period)	375,652,000		596,289,000	375,652,000	596,289,000
North America proprietary
Segment information
Revenue	20,540,000		41,412,000	94,011,000	118,095,000
Direct Operating Expenses	19,476,000		34,824,000	74,763,000	94,041,000
Depreciation and amortization	3,150,000		2,524,000	9,960,000	9,737,000
Adjusted EBITDA	396,000		4,367,000	16,145,000	18,665,000
Identifiable Assets: (at end of period)	65,910,000		125,526,000	65,910,000	125,526,000
Capital expenditures, including capitalized leases and capitalized depreciation				5,900,000
International proprietary
Segment information
Revenue	110,507,000		123,519,000	286,240,000	325,288,000
Direct Operating Expenses	75,448,000		111,794,000	231,510,000	319,869,000
Depreciation and amortization	12,392,000		12,765,000	37,968,000	40,321,000
Adjusted EBITDA	29,900,000		4,659,000	36,541,000	(16,545,000)
Identifiable Assets: (at end of period)	262,666,000		381,644,000	262,666,000	381,644,000
Capital expenditures, including capitalized leases and capitalized depreciation				5,300,000
Multi-client
Segment information
Revenue	8,788,000		38,841,000	53,219,000	89,401,000
Direct Operating Expenses	654,000		(41,000)	6,284,000	177,000
Depreciation and amortization	5,939,000		32,052,000	35,774,000	71,439,000
Adjusted EBITDA	7,668,000		38,332,000	45,713,000	87,667,000
Identifiable Assets: (at end of period)	47,076,000		89,119,000	47,076,000	89,119,000
Capital expenditures, including capitalized leases and capitalized depreciation				40,100,000
Seismic Data Processing & Integrated Reservoir Geosciences
Segment information
Revenue	3,225,000		4,129,000	10,584,000	10,537,000
Direct Operating Expenses	2,766,000		3,083,000	8,850,000	8,995,000
Depreciation and amortization	470,000		426,000	1,329,000	1,078,000
Adjusted EBITDA	455,000		1,002,000	1,715,000	1,408,000
Identifiable Assets: (at end of period)	7,692,000		7,824,000	7,692,000	7,824,000
Capital expenditures, including capitalized leases and capitalized depreciation				1,300,000
Eliminations
Segment information
Revenue	(1,366,000)		(1,849,000)	(4,075,000)	(4,084,000)
Direct Operating Expenses	(1,366,000)		(1,849,000)	(4,075,000)	(4,084,000)
Corporate
Segment information
Depreciation and amortization	1,194,000		1,255,000	3,595,000	3,776,000
Adjusted EBITDA	(6,251,000)		(11,440,000)	(27,655,000)	(26,380,000)
Identifiable Assets: (at end of period)	$ 32,369,000		$ 46,195,000	$ 32,369,000	$ 46,195,000