Condensed Consolidating Financial Information - Balance Sheet (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 40,225	$ 52,652	$ 62,536	$ 84,933
Accounts receivable, net	39,374	20,770
Unbilled receivables	25,833	13,415
Inventories	14,264	15,241
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	4,259	9,559
Total current assets	123,955	111,637
Property, plant, equipment and seismic rental equipment, net	55,188	67,488
Multi-client data library, net	96,751	105,935
Investment in subsidiaries	0	0
Goodwill	24,048	22,208
Intangible assets, net	2,026	3,103
Intercompany receivables	0	0
Other assets	1,485	2,845
Total assets	303,453	313,216
Current liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt	38,819	14,581
Accounts payable	24,674	26,889
Accrued expenses	40,874	26,240
Accrued multi-client data library royalties	24,576	23,663
Deferred revenue	10,875	3,709
Total current liabilities	139,818	95,082
Long-term debt, net of current maturities	116,506	144,209
Intercompany payables	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	17,066	20,527
Total liabilities	273,390	259,818
Equity:
Common stock	119	118
Additional paid-in capital	901,138	899,198
Accumulated earnings (deficit)	(853,527)	(824,679)
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	(18,999)	(21,748)
Due from ION Geophysical Corporation	0	0
Total stockholders’ equity	28,731	52,889
Noncontrolling interests	1,332	509
Total equity	30,063	53,398
Total liabilities and equity	303,453	313,216
ION Geophysical Corporation
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	17,243	23,042	25,658	33,734
The Guarantors
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
All Other Subsidiaries
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	22,982	29,610	$ 36,878	$ 51,199
Reportable Legal Entities | ION Geophysical Corporation
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	17,244	23,042
Accounts receivable, net	40	0
Unbilled receivables	0	0
Inventories	0	0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	1,558	3,387
Total current assets	18,842	26,429
Property, plant, equipment and seismic rental equipment, net	761	1,745
Multi-client data library, net	0	0
Investment in subsidiaries	679,958	660,880
Goodwill	0	0
Intangible assets, net	0	0
Intercompany receivables	0	0
Other assets	1,080	2,469
Total assets	700,641	691,523
Current liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt	38,278	11,281
Accounts payable	2,682	2,101
Accrued expenses	16,325	8,579
Accrued multi-client data library royalties	0	0
Deferred revenue	0	0
Total current liabilities	57,285	21,961
Long-term debt, net of current maturities	116,506	143,930
Intercompany payables	497,658	472,276
Other long-term liabilities	461	467
Total liabilities	671,910	638,634
Equity:
Common stock	119	118
Additional paid-in capital	901,138	899,198
Accumulated earnings (deficit)	(853,527)	(824,679)
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	(18,999)	(21,748)
Due from ION Geophysical Corporation	0	0
Total stockholders’ equity	28,731	52,889
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	28,731	52,889
Total liabilities and equity	700,641	691,523
Reportable Legal Entities | The Guarantors
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	6,034	12,775
Unbilled receivables	11,357	5,275
Inventories	8,582	8,610
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	504	4,624
Total current assets	26,477	31,284
Property, plant, equipment and seismic rental equipment, net	8,292	12,369
Multi-client data library, net	68,791	97,369
Investment in subsidiaries	303,996	257,732
Goodwill	0	0
Intangible assets, net	2,002	3,008
Intercompany receivables	0	0
Other assets	145	145
Total assets	409,703	401,907
Current liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt	541	3,166
Accounts payable	19,720	19,720
Accrued expenses	13,458	10,016
Accrued multi-client data library royalties	24,371	23,663
Deferred revenue	2,431	2,667
Total current liabilities	60,521	59,232
Long-term debt, net of current maturities	0	279
Intercompany payables	38,708	10,155
Other long-term liabilities	6,170	12,117
Total liabilities	105,399	81,783
Equity:
Common stock	290,460	290,460
Additional paid-in capital	180,699	180,700
Accumulated earnings (deficit)	233,706	216,730
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	4,385	4,420
Due from ION Geophysical Corporation	(404,946)	(372,186)
Total stockholders’ equity	304,304	320,124
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	304,304	320,124
Total liabilities and equity	409,703	401,907
Reportable Legal Entities | All Other Subsidiaries
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	22,981	29,610
Accounts receivable, net	33,300	7,995
Unbilled receivables	14,476	8,140
Inventories	5,682	6,631
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	2,197	1,548
Total current assets	78,636	53,924
Property, plant, equipment and seismic rental equipment, net	46,135	53,374
Multi-client data library, net	27,960	8,566
Investment in subsidiaries	0	0
Goodwill	24,048	22,208
Intangible assets, net	24	95
Intercompany receivables	52,655	32,174
Other assets	260	231
Total assets	229,718	170,572
Current liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt	0	134
Accounts payable	2,272	5,068
Accrued expenses	11,091	7,645
Accrued multi-client data library royalties	205	0
Deferred revenue	8,444	1,042
Total current liabilities	22,012	13,889
Long-term debt, net of current maturities	0	0
Intercompany payables	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	10,435	7,943
Total liabilities	32,447	21,832
Equity:
Common stock	49,394	19,138
Additional paid-in capital	202,290	232,590
Accumulated earnings (deficit)	42,766	(3,639)
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	(19,746)	(21,787)
Due from ION Geophysical Corporation	(78,765)	(78,071)
Total stockholders’ equity	195,939	148,231
Noncontrolling interests	1,332	509
Total equity	197,271	148,740
Total liabilities and equity	229,718	170,572
Consolidating Adjustments
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	0	0
Unbilled receivables	0	0
Inventories	0	0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	0	0
Property, plant, equipment and seismic rental equipment, net	0	0
Multi-client data library, net	0	0
Investment in subsidiaries	(983,954)	(918,612)
Goodwill	0	0
Intangible assets, net	0	0
Intercompany receivables	(52,655)	(32,174)
Other assets	0	0
Total assets	(1,036,609)	(950,786)
Current liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt	0	0
Accounts payable	0	0
Accrued expenses	0	0
Accrued multi-client data library royalties	0	0
Deferred revenue	0	0
Total current liabilities	0	0
Long-term debt, net of current maturities	0	0
Intercompany payables	(536,366)	(482,431)
Other long-term liabilities	0	0
Total liabilities	(536,366)	(482,431)
Equity:
Common stock	(339,854)	(309,598)
Additional paid-in capital	(382,989)	(413,290)
Accumulated earnings (deficit)	(276,472)	(213,091)
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	15,361	17,367
Due from ION Geophysical Corporation	483,711	450,257
Total stockholders’ equity	(500,243)	(468,355)
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	(500,243)	(468,355)
Total liabilities and equity	$ (1,036,609)	$ (950,786)