Condensed Consolidating Financial Information - Balance Sheet (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2017
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 50,750	$ 52,056	$ 49,640
Accounts receivable, net	29,750	19,478
Unbilled receivables	16,349	37,304
Inventories	14,728	14,508
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	5,754	7,643
Total current assets	117,331	130,989
Deferred income tax asset	1,877	1,753
Property, plant, equipment and seismic rental equipment, net	50,007	52,153
Multi-client data library, net	84,433	89,300
Investment in subsidiaries	0	0
Goodwill	25,188	24,089
Intangible assets, net	1,374	1,666
Intercompany receivables	0	0
Other assets	843	1,119
Total assets	281,053	301,069
Current liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt	1,014	40,024
Accounts payable	22,817	24,951
Accrued expenses	26,195	38,697
Accrued multi-client data library royalties	28,324	27,035
Deferred revenue	11,330	8,910
Total current liabilities	89,680	139,617
Long-term debt, net of current maturities	116,916	116,720
Intercompany payables	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	12,938	13,926
Total liabilities	219,534	270,263
Equity:
Common stock	139	120
Additional paid-in capital	950,464	903,247
Accumulated earnings (deficit)	(873,347)	(854,921)
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	(17,054)	(18,879)
Due from ION Geophysical Corporation	0	0
Total stockholders’ equity	60,202	29,567
Noncontrolling interest	1,317	1,239
Total equity	61,519	30,806
Total liabilities and equity	281,053	301,069
ION Geophysical Corporation
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	41,380		28,366
The Guarantors
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0		0
All Other Subsidiaries
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	9,370		$ 21,274
Reportable Legal Entities | ION Geophysical Corporation
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	41,380	39,344
Accounts receivable, net	8	50
Unbilled receivables	0	0
Inventories	0	0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	2,057	2,427
Total current assets	43,445	41,821
Deferred income tax asset	1,263	1,264
Property, plant, equipment and seismic rental equipment, net	306	511
Multi-client data library, net	0	0
Investment in subsidiaries	693,059	693,679
Goodwill	0	0
Intangible assets, net	0	0
Intercompany receivables	0	0
Other assets	518	686
Total assets	738,591	737,961
Current liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt	824	39,774
Accounts payable	3,195	1,774
Accrued expenses	11,450	12,284
Accrued multi-client data library royalties	0	0
Deferred revenue	0	0
Total current liabilities	15,469	53,832
Long-term debt, net of current maturities	116,916	116,691
Intercompany payables	545,556	537,417
Other long-term liabilities	448	454
Total liabilities	678,389	708,394
Equity:
Common stock	139	120
Additional paid-in capital	950,464	903,247
Accumulated earnings (deficit)	(873,347)	(854,921)
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	(17,054)	(18,879)
Due from ION Geophysical Corporation	0	0
Total stockholders’ equity	60,202	29,567
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
Total equity	60,202	29,567
Total liabilities and equity	738,591	737,961
Reportable Legal Entities | The Guarantors
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	7,762	9,374
Unbilled receivables	7,654	16,666
Inventories	9,094	8,686
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	1,015	769
Total current assets	25,525	35,495
Deferred income tax asset	0	0
Property, plant, equipment and seismic rental equipment, net	6,744	7,170
Multi-client data library, net	57,895	62,438
Investment in subsidiaries	329,545	321,934
Goodwill	0	0
Intangible assets, net	1,374	1,666
Intercompany receivables	106,721	132,184
Other assets	145	145
Total assets	527,949	561,032
Current liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt	190	250
Accounts payable	17,247	20,982
Accrued expenses	8,154	15,601
Accrued multi-client data library royalties	28,109	26,824
Deferred revenue	2,749	3,201
Total current liabilities	56,449	66,858
Long-term debt, net of current maturities	0	29
Intercompany payables	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	5,997	6,084
Total liabilities	62,446	72,971
Equity:
Common stock	290,460	290,460
Additional paid-in capital	180,701	180,701
Accumulated earnings (deficit)	245,094	248,770
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	4,324	4,372
Due from ION Geophysical Corporation	(255,076)	(236,242)
Total stockholders’ equity	465,503	488,061
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
Total equity	465,503	488,061
Total liabilities and equity	527,949	561,032
Reportable Legal Entities | All Other Subsidiaries
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	9,370	12,712
Accounts receivable, net	21,980	10,054
Unbilled receivables	8,695	20,638
Inventories	5,634	5,822
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	2,682	4,447
Total current assets	48,361	53,673
Deferred income tax asset	614	489
Property, plant, equipment and seismic rental equipment, net	42,957	44,472
Multi-client data library, net	26,538	26,862
Investment in subsidiaries	0	0
Goodwill	25,188	24,089
Intangible assets, net	0	0
Intercompany receivables	104,895	90,227
Other assets	180	288
Total assets	248,733	240,100
Current liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt	0	0
Accounts payable	2,375	2,195
Accrued expenses	6,591	10,812
Accrued multi-client data library royalties	215	211
Deferred revenue	8,581	5,709
Total current liabilities	17,762	18,927
Long-term debt, net of current maturities	0	0
Intercompany payables	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	6,493	7,388
Total liabilities	24,255	26,315
Equity:
Common stock	49,394	49,394
Additional paid-in capital	202,290	202,290
Accumulated earnings (deficit)	68,288	59,307
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	(17,947)	(19,681)
Due from ION Geophysical Corporation	(78,864)	(78,764)
Total stockholders’ equity	223,161	212,546
Noncontrolling interest	1,317	1,239
Total equity	224,478	213,785
Total liabilities and equity	248,733	240,100
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
Deferred income tax asset	0	0
Property, plant, equipment and seismic rental equipment, net	0	0
Multi-client data library, net	0	0
Investment in subsidiaries	(1,022,604)	(1,015,613)
Goodwill	0	0
Intangible assets, net	0	0
Intercompany receivables	(211,616)	(222,411)
Other assets	0	0
Total assets	(1,234,220)	(1,238,024)
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	(545,556)	(537,417)
Other long-term liabilities	0	0
Total liabilities	(545,556)	(537,417)
Equity:
Common stock	(339,854)	(339,854)
Additional paid-in capital	(382,991)	(382,991)
Accumulated earnings (deficit)	(313,382)	(308,077)
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	13,623	15,309
Due from ION Geophysical Corporation	333,940	315,006
Total stockholders’ equity	(688,664)	(700,607)
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
Total equity	(688,664)	(700,607)
Total liabilities and equity	$ (1,234,220)	$ (1,238,024)