Condensed Consolidating Financial Information - Condensed Balance Sheet (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 197,306	$ 148,056	$ 66,575	$ 60,971
Accounts receivable, net	98,231	149,448
Unbilled receivables	68,452	49,468
Inventories	54,709	57,173
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	25,605	24,772
Total current assets	444,303	428,917
Deferred income tax asset	14,339	14,650
Property, plant, equipment and seismic rental equipment, net	59,811	46,684
Multi-client data library, net	243,083	238,784
Equity method investments	47,466	53,865
Investment in subsidiaries	0	0
Goodwill	56,111	55,876
Intangible assets, net	10,566	11,247
Intercompany receivables	0	0
Other assets	15,640	14,648
Total assets	891,319	864,671
Current liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt	60,551	5,906
Accounts payable	38,654	22,654
Accrued expenses	72,471	84,358
Accrued multi-client data library royalties	38,263	46,460
Deferred revenue	16,030	20,682
Total current liabilities	225,969	180,060
Long-term debt, net of current maturities	180,462	214,246
Intercompany payables	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	142,987	210,602
Total liabilities	549,418	604,908
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	5,552	1,878
Stockholders’ equity:
Common stock	1,640	1,637
Additional paid-in capital	882,892	879,969
Accumulated earnings (deficit)	(530,178)	(606,157)
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	(11,799)	(11,138)
Due from ION Geophysical Corporation	0	0
Treasury stock	(6,565)	(6,565)
Total stockholders' equity	335,990	257,746
Noncontrolling interests	359	139
Total equity	336,349	257,885
Total liabilities and equity	891,319	864,671
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | ION Geophysical Corporation [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	154,845	124,701	12,554	30,343
Accounts receivable, net	2,532	1,874
Unbilled receivables	0	0
Inventories	0	0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	12,087	12,888
Total current assets	169,464	139,463
Deferred income tax asset	6,500	6,513
Property, plant, equipment and seismic rental equipment, net	6,152	6,440
Multi-client data library, net	0	0
Equity method investments	47,466	51,065
Investment in subsidiaries	785,917	699,695
Goodwill	0	0
Intangible assets, net	0	0
Intercompany receivables	50,557	8,313
Other assets	13,845	14,315
Total assets	1,079,901	925,804
Current liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt	50,000	0
Accounts payable	2,001	3,515
Accrued expenses	15,888	16,652
Accrued multi-client data library royalties	0	0
Deferred revenue	0	0
Total current liabilities	67,889	20,167
Long-term debt, net of current maturities	175,000	210,000
Intercompany payables	467,223	426,134
Other long-term liabilities	33,957	11,757
Total liabilities	744,069	668,058
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	0	0
Stockholders’ equity:
Common stock	1,640	1,637
Additional paid-in capital	882,892	879,969
Accumulated earnings (deficit)	(530,178)	(606,157)
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	(11,799)	(11,138)
Due from ION Geophysical Corporation	0	0
Treasury stock	(6,565)	(6,565)
Total stockholders' equity	335,990	257,746
Noncontrolling interests	(158)	0
Total equity	335,832	257,746
Total liabilities and equity	1,079,901	925,804
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | The Guarantors [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	1,539	0	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	46,308	99,547
Unbilled receivables	55,168	33,490
Inventories	5,658	6,595
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	4,897	5,030
Total current assets	113,570	144,662
Deferred income tax asset	6,675	6,960
Property, plant, equipment and seismic rental equipment, net	29,977	29,845
Multi-client data library, net	213,272	212,572
Equity method investments	0	0
Investment in subsidiaries	256,637	248,482
Goodwill	26,984	26,984
Intangible assets, net	7,747	8,246
Intercompany receivables	0	13,419
Other assets	46	56
Total assets	654,908	691,226
Current liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt	4,794	4,716
Accounts payable	13,078	11,741
Accrued expenses	41,532	54,250
Accrued multi-client data library royalties	37,648	45,921
Deferred revenue	12,689	16,387
Total current liabilities	109,741	133,015
Long-term debt, net of current maturities	4,073	3,655
Intercompany payables	34,145	0
Other long-term liabilities	121,617	214,211
Total liabilities	269,576	350,881
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	0	0
Stockholders’ equity:
Common stock	290,460	290,460
Additional paid-in capital	175,005	180,700
Accumulated earnings (deficit)	324,015	232,186
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	6,217	6,218
Due from ION Geophysical Corporation	(410,365)	(369,219)
Treasury stock	0	0
Total stockholders' equity	385,332	340,345
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	385,332	340,345
Total liabilities and equity	654,908	691,226
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | All Other Subsidiaries [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	40,922	23,355	54,021	30,628
Accounts receivable, net	49,391	48,027
Unbilled receivables	13,284	15,978
Inventories	49,051	50,578
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	10,391	7,438
Total current assets	163,039	145,376
Deferred income tax asset	758	489
Property, plant, equipment and seismic rental equipment, net	23,682	10,399
Multi-client data library, net	29,811	26,212
Equity method investments	0	2,800
Investment in subsidiaries	0	0
Goodwill	29,127	28,892
Intangible assets, net	2,819	3,001
Intercompany receivables	0	0
Other assets	24,249	24,262
Total assets	273,485	241,431
Current liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt	5,757	1,190
Accounts payable	23,575	7,364
Accrued expenses	16,133	13,392
Accrued multi-client data library royalties	615	539
Deferred revenue	3,341	4,295
Total current liabilities	49,421	26,780
Long-term debt, net of current maturities	1,389	591
Intercompany payables	16,412	21,732
Other long-term liabilities	10,195	8,637
Total liabilities	77,417	57,740
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	5,552	1,878
Stockholders’ equity:
Common stock	22,362	19,138
Additional paid-in capital	235,994	235,381
Accumulated earnings (deficit)	(69)	(4,010)
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	(11,430)	(11,920)
Due from ION Geophysical Corporation	(56,858)	(56,915)
Treasury stock	0	0
Total stockholders' equity	189,999	181,674
Noncontrolling interests	517	139
Total equity	190,516	181,813
Total liabilities and equity	273,485	241,431
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	0	0
Unbilled receivables	0	0
Inventories	0	0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	(1,770)	(584)
Total current assets	(1,770)	(584)
Deferred income tax asset	406	688
Property, plant, equipment and seismic rental equipment, net	0	0
Multi-client data library, net	0	0
Equity method investments	0	0
Investment in subsidiaries	(1,042,554)	(948,177)
Goodwill	0	0
Intangible assets, net	0	0
Intercompany receivables	(50,557)	(21,732)
Other assets	(22,500)	(23,985)
Total assets	(1,116,975)	(993,790)
Current liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt	0	0
Accounts payable	0	34
Accrued expenses	(1,082)	64
Accrued multi-client data library royalties	0	0
Deferred revenue	0	0
Total current liabilities	(1,082)	98
Long-term debt, net of current maturities	0	0
Intercompany payables	(517,780)	(447,866)
Other long-term liabilities	(22,782)	(24,003)
Total liabilities	(541,644)	(471,771)
Redeemable noncontrolling interests	0	0
Stockholders’ equity:
Common stock	(312,822)	(309,598)
Additional paid-in capital	(410,999)	(416,081)
Accumulated earnings (deficit)	(323,946)	(228,176)
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	5,213	5,702
Due from ION Geophysical Corporation	467,223	426,134
Treasury stock	0	0
Total stockholders' equity	(575,331)	(522,019)
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	(575,331)	(522,019)
Total liabilities and equity	$ (1,116,975)	$ (993,790)