Condensed Consolidating Financial Information - Balance Sheet (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Mar. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 42,663	$ 33,065	$ 38,407
Accounts receivable, net	51,149	29,548
Unbilled receivables	8,356	11,815
Inventories, net	12,820	12,187
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	5,681	6,012
Total current assets	120,669	92,627
Deferred income tax asset, net	7,905	8,734
Property, plant and equipment, net	12,706	13,188
Multi-client data library, net	54,344	60,384
Investment in subsidiaries	0	0
Goodwill	18,298	23,585		$ 22,915
Intercompany receivables	0	0
Right-of-use assets	42,166	32,546
Other assets	3,299	2,130
Total assets	259,387	233,194
Current liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt	28,646	2,107
Accounts payable	43,827	49,316
Accrued expenses	29,078	30,328
Accrued multi-client data library royalties	21,424	18,831
Deferred revenue	4,882	4,551
Current maturities of operating lease liabilities	9,873	11,055
Total current liabilities	137,730	116,188
Long-term debt, net of current maturities	119,296	119,352
Operating lease liabilities, net of current maturities	40,531	30,833
Intercompany payables	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	433	1,453
Total liabilities	297,990	267,826
(Deficit) Equity:
Common stock	142	142
Additional paid-in capital	957,254	956,647
Accumulated earnings (deficit)	(976,554)	(974,291)
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	(21,099)	(19,318)
Due from ION Geophysical Corporation	0	0
Total stockholders’ deficit	(40,257)	(36,820)
Noncontrolling interest	1,654	2,188
Total deficit	(38,603)	(34,632)	(11,439)	$ 7,824
Total liabilities and deficit	259,387	233,194
ION Geophysical Corporation
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	28,602		4,695
The Guarantors
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	54		25
All Other Subsidiaries
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	14,007		$ 33,687
Reportable Legal Entities | ION Geophysical Corporation
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	28,602	8,426
Accounts receivable, net	8	8
Unbilled receivables	0	0
Inventories, net	0	0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	3,168	3,292
Total current assets	31,778	11,726
Deferred income tax asset, net	0	402
Property, plant and equipment, net	1,609	786
Multi-client data library, net	0	0
Investment in subsidiaries	855,539	841,522
Goodwill	0	0
Intercompany receivables	0	0
Right-of-use assets	22,699	11,934
Other assets	2,381	1,171
Total assets	914,006	867,541
Current liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt	27,486	972
Accounts payable	2,008	2,259
Accrued expenses	13,536	9,933
Accrued multi-client data library royalties	0	0
Deferred revenue	0	0
Current maturities of operating lease liabilities	3,556	4,429
Total current liabilities	46,586	17,593
Long-term debt, net of current maturities	118,861	118,618
Operating lease liabilities, net of current maturities	21,900	11,208
Intercompany payables	766,521	755,524
Other long-term liabilities	395	1,418
Total liabilities	954,263	904,361
(Deficit) Equity:
Common stock	142	142
Additional paid-in capital	957,254	956,647
Accumulated earnings (deficit)	(976,554)	(974,291)
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	(21,099)	(19,318)
Due from ION Geophysical Corporation	0	0
Total stockholders’ deficit	(40,257)	(36,820)
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
Total deficit	(40,257)	(36,820)
Total liabilities and deficit	914,006	867,541
Reportable Legal Entities | The Guarantors
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	54	26
Accounts receivable, net	42,390	19,493
Unbilled receivables	5,206	7,314
Inventories, net	7,603	6,902
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	1,319	1,513
Total current assets	56,572	35,248
Deferred income tax asset, net	7,799	8,417
Property, plant and equipment, net	7,711	8,112
Multi-client data library, net	46,771	54,479
Investment in subsidiaries	274,923	279,327
Goodwill	0	0
Intercompany receivables	288,207	287,692
Right-of-use assets	14,572	15,802
Other assets	865	905
Total assets	697,420	689,982
Current liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt	1,160	1,135
Accounts payable	40,192	44,641
Accrued expenses	8,371	9,982
Accrued multi-client data library royalties	21,209	18,616
Deferred revenue	3,610	3,465
Current maturities of operating lease liabilities	5,143	5,469
Total current liabilities	79,685	83,308
Long-term debt, net of current maturities	435	734
Operating lease liabilities, net of current maturities	14,283	15,346
Intercompany payables	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	38	35
Total liabilities	94,441	99,423
(Deficit) Equity:
Common stock	290,460	290,460
Additional paid-in capital	180,700	180,700
Accumulated earnings (deficit)	406,440	396,793
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	4,238	4,281
Due from ION Geophysical Corporation	(278,859)	(281,675)
Total stockholders’ deficit	602,979	590,559
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
Total deficit	602,979	590,559
Total liabilities and deficit	697,420	689,982
Reportable Legal Entities | All Other Subsidiaries
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	14,007	24,613
Accounts receivable, net	8,751	10,047
Unbilled receivables	3,150	4,501
Inventories, net	5,217	5,285
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	1,194	1,207
Total current assets	32,319	45,653
Deferred income tax asset, net	106	(85)
Property, plant and equipment, net	3,386	4,290
Multi-client data library, net	7,573	5,905
Investment in subsidiaries	0	0
Goodwill	18,298	23,585
Intercompany receivables	112,830	99,884
Right-of-use assets	4,895	4,810
Other assets	53	54
Total assets	179,460	184,096
Current liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt	0	0
Accounts payable	1,627	2,416
Accrued expenses	7,171	10,413
Accrued multi-client data library royalties	215	215
Deferred revenue	1,272	1,086
Current maturities of operating lease liabilities	1,174	1,157
Total current liabilities	11,459	15,287
Long-term debt, net of current maturities	0	0
Operating lease liabilities, net of current maturities	4,348	4,279
Intercompany payables	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	0	0
Total liabilities	15,807	19,566
(Deficit) Equity:
Common stock	47,776	47,776
Additional paid-in capital	203,909	203,909
Accumulated earnings (deficit)	20,550	18,837
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	(23,611)	(21,907)
Due from ION Geophysical Corporation	(86,625)	(86,273)
Total stockholders’ deficit	161,999	162,342
Noncontrolling interest	1,654	2,188
Total deficit	163,653	164,530
Total liabilities and deficit	179,460	184,096
Consolidating Adjustments
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	0	0
Unbilled receivables	0	0
Inventories, net	0	0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	0	0
Deferred income tax asset, net	0	0
Property, plant and equipment, net	0	0
Multi-client data library, net	0	0
Investment in subsidiaries	(1,130,462)	(1,120,849)
Goodwill	0	0
Intercompany receivables	(401,037)	(387,576)
Right-of-use assets	0	0
Other assets	0	0
Total assets	(1,531,499)	(1,508,425)
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
Current maturities of operating lease liabilities	0	0
Total current liabilities	0	0
Long-term debt, net of current maturities	0	0
Operating lease liabilities, net of current maturities	0	0
Intercompany payables	(766,521)	(755,524)
Other long-term liabilities	0	0
Total liabilities	(766,521)	(755,524)
(Deficit) Equity:
Common stock	(338,236)	(338,236)
Additional paid-in capital	(384,609)	(384,609)
Accumulated earnings (deficit)	(426,990)	(415,630)
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	19,373	17,626
Due from ION Geophysical Corporation	365,484	367,948
Total stockholders’ deficit	(764,978)	(752,901)
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
Total deficit	(764,978)	(752,901)
Total liabilities and deficit	$ (1,531,499)	$ (1,508,425)