Condensed Consolidating Financial Information - Balance Sheet (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2017
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 30,043	$ 52,056	$ 40,225
Accounts receivable, net	23,624	19,478
Unbilled receivables	25,724	37,304
Inventories	15,129	14,508
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	5,854	7,643
Total current assets	100,374	130,989
Deferred income tax asset	4,058	1,753
Property, plant, equipment and seismic rental equipment, net	49,968	52,153
Multi-client data library, net	83,254	89,300
Investment in subsidiaries	0	0
Goodwill	23,590	24,089
Intercompany receivables	0	0
Other assets	2,713	2,785
Total assets	263,957	301,069
Current liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt	1,335	40,024
Accounts payable	31,872	24,951
Accrued expenses	33,556	38,697
Accrued multi-client data library royalties	28,235	27,035
Deferred revenue	10,327	8,910
Total current liabilities	105,325	139,617
Long-term debt, net of current maturities	119,449	116,720
Intercompany payables	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	12,269	13,926
Total liabilities	237,043	270,263
Equity:
Common stock	140	120
Additional paid-in capital	951,811	903,247
Accumulated earnings (deficit)	(906,749)	(854,921)
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	(19,591)	(18,879)
Due from ION Geophysical Corporation	0	0
Total stockholders’ equity	25,611	29,567
Noncontrolling interest	1,303	1,239
Total equity	26,914	30,806
Total liabilities and equity	263,957	301,069
ION Geophysical Corporation
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	20,553		17,243
The Guarantors
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	18		43
All Other Subsidiaries
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	9,472		$ 22,939
Reportable Legal Entities | ION Geophysical Corporation
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	20,553	39,344
Accounts receivable, net	8	50
Unbilled receivables	0	0
Inventories	0	0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	2,107	2,427
Total current assets	22,668	41,821
Deferred income tax asset	1,264	1,264
Property, plant, equipment and seismic rental equipment, net	375	511
Multi-client data library, net	0	0
Investment in subsidiaries	812,068	753,045
Goodwill	0	0
Intercompany receivables	0	0
Other assets	1,708	686
Total assets	838,083	797,327
Current liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt	0	39,774
Accounts payable	3,166	1,774
Accrued expenses	13,356	12,284
Accrued multi-client data library royalties	0	0
Deferred revenue	0	0
Total current liabilities	16,522	53,832
Long-term debt, net of current maturities	117,400	116,691
Intercompany payables	678,114	596,783
Other long-term liabilities	436	454
Total liabilities	812,472	767,760
Equity:
Common stock	140	120
Additional paid-in capital	951,811	903,247
Accumulated earnings (deficit)	(906,749)	(854,921)
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	(19,591)	(18,879)
Due from ION Geophysical Corporation	0	0
Total stockholders’ equity	25,611	29,567
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
Total equity	25,611	29,567
Total liabilities and equity	838,083	797,327
Reportable Legal Entities | The Guarantors
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	18	66
Accounts receivable, net	15,101	12,496
Unbilled receivables	14,326	34,484
Inventories	9,421	8,686
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	1,211	769
Total current assets	40,077	56,501
Deferred income tax asset	2,645	336
Property, plant, equipment and seismic rental equipment, net	9,155	7,170
Multi-client data library, net	75,631	81,442
Investment in subsidiaries	261,875	321,934
Goodwill	0	0
Intercompany receivables	271,410	225,144
Other assets	935	1,811
Total assets	661,728	694,338
Current liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt	1,335	250
Accounts payable	25,825	20,982
Accrued expenses	11,088	16,957
Accrued multi-client data library royalties	28,020	26,824
Deferred revenue	7,507	7,231
Total current liabilities	73,775	72,244
Long-term debt, net of current maturities	2,049	29
Intercompany payables	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	5,815	6,084
Total liabilities	81,639	78,357
Equity:
Common stock	290,460	290,460
Additional paid-in capital	180,700	180,701
Accumulated earnings (deficit)	365,725	376,690
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	4,324	4,372
Due from ION Geophysical Corporation	(261,120)	(236,242)
Total stockholders’ equity	580,089	615,981
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
Total equity	580,089	615,981
Total liabilities and equity	661,728	694,338
Reportable Legal Entities | All Other Subsidiaries
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	9,472	12,646
Accounts receivable, net	8,515	6,932
Unbilled receivables	11,398	2,820
Inventories	5,708	5,822
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	2,536	4,447
Total current assets	37,629	32,667
Deferred income tax asset	149	153
Property, plant, equipment and seismic rental equipment, net	40,438	44,472
Multi-client data library, net	7,623	7,858
Investment in subsidiaries	0	0
Goodwill	23,590	24,089
Intercompany receivables	66,287	56,633
Other assets	70	288
Total assets	175,786	166,160
Current liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt	0	0
Accounts payable	2,881	2,195
Accrued expenses	9,112	9,456
Accrued multi-client data library royalties	215	211
Deferred revenue	2,820	1,679
Total current liabilities	15,028	13,541
Long-term debt, net of current maturities	0	0
Intercompany payables	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	6,018	7,388
Total liabilities	21,046	20,929
Equity:
Common stock	47,776	49,394
Additional paid-in capital	203,907	202,290
Accumulated earnings (deficit)	1,973	(9,247)
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	(20,923)	(19,681)
Due from ION Geophysical Corporation	(79,296)	(78,764)
Total stockholders’ equity	153,437	143,992
Noncontrolling interest	1,303	1,239
Total equity	154,740	145,231
Total liabilities and equity	175,786	166,160
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	(1,073,943)	(1,074,979)
Goodwill	0	0
Intercompany receivables	(337,697)	(281,777)
Other assets	0	0
Total assets	(1,411,640)	(1,356,756)
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	(678,114)	(596,783)
Other long-term liabilities	0	0
Total liabilities	(678,114)	(596,783)
Equity:
Common stock	(338,236)	(339,854)
Additional paid-in capital	(384,607)	(382,991)
Accumulated earnings (deficit)	(367,698)	(367,443)
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	16,599	15,309
Due from ION Geophysical Corporation	340,416	315,006
Total stockholders’ equity	(733,526)	(759,973)
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
Total equity	(733,526)	(759,973)
Total liabilities and equity	$ (1,411,640)	$ (1,356,756)