Condensed Consolidating Financial Information - Income Statement (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2020	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2020	Jun. 30, 2019
Condensed Income Statements
Net revenues	$ 22,731,000	$ 41,775,000	$ 79,145,000	$ 78,731,000
Cost of services and products	18,147,000	22,192,000	45,050,000	49,236,000
Impairment of multi-client data library	0	0	1,167,000	0
Gross profit (loss)	4,584,000	19,583,000	32,928,000	29,495,000
Total operating expenses			27,924,000
Total operating expenses	10,056,000	22,136,000	32,074,000	47,985,000
Impairment of goodwill	0	0	4,150,000	0
Income (loss) from operations	(5,472,000)	(2,553,000)	854,000	(18,490,000)
Interest expense, net	(3,414,000)	(3,111,000)	(6,635,000)	(6,223,000)
Intercompany interest, net	0	0	0	0
Equity in earnings (losses) of investments	0	0	0	0
Other income (expense)	6,771,000	96,000	7,200,000	(696,000)
Net income (loss) before income taxes	(2,115,000)	(5,568,000)	1,419,000	(25,409,000)
Income tax expense (benefit)	3,052,000	2,719,000	8,926,000	4,126,000
Net income (loss)	(5,167,000)	(8,287,000)	(7,507,000)	(29,535,000)
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest	(52,000)	(335,000)	25,000	(447,000)
Net income (loss) attributable to ION	(5,219,000)	(8,622,000)	(7,482,000)	(29,982,000)
Comprehensive net income (loss)	(5,901,000)	(9,227,000)	(10,022,000)	(29,505,000)
Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interest	(52,000)	(335,000)	25,000	(447,000)
Comprehensive net income (loss) attributable to ION	(5,953,000)	(9,562,000)	(9,997,000)	(29,952,000)
Reportable legal entities | ION Geophysical Corporation
Condensed Income Statements
Net revenues	0	0	0	0
Cost of services and products	0	0	0	0
Impairment of multi-client data library			0
Gross profit (loss)	0	0	0	0
Total operating expenses			13,452,000
Total operating expenses	5,332,000	8,977,000		21,816,000
Impairment of goodwill			0
Income (loss) from operations	(5,332,000)	(8,977,000)	(13,452,000)	(21,816,000)
Interest expense, net	(3,310,000)	(3,197,000)	(6,555,000)	(6,363,000)
Intercompany interest, net	(268,000)	223,000	(458,000)	523,000
Equity in earnings (losses) of investments	(1,682,000)	3,511,000	7,946,000	(1,658,000)
Other income (expense)	6,758,000	(19,000)	8,143,000	(12,000)
Net income (loss) before income taxes	(3,834,000)	(8,459,000)	(4,376,000)	(29,326,000)
Income tax expense (benefit)	1,385,000	163,000	3,106,000	656,000
Net income (loss)	(5,219,000)	(8,622,000)	(7,482,000)	(29,982,000)
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest	0	0	0	0
Net income (loss) attributable to ION	(5,219,000)	(8,622,000)	(7,482,000)	(29,982,000)
Comprehensive net income (loss)	(5,953,000)	(9,562,000)	(9,997,000)	(29,952,000)
Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interest	0	0	0	0
Comprehensive net income (loss) attributable to ION	(5,953,000)	(9,562,000)	(9,997,000)	(29,952,000)
Reportable legal entities | The Guarantors
Condensed Income Statements
Net revenues	11,748,000	26,465,000	52,170,000	44,078,000
Cost of services and products	13,231,000	15,741,000	35,031,000	35,941,000
Impairment of multi-client data library			1,167,000
Gross profit (loss)	(1,483,000)	10,724,000	15,972,000	8,137,000
Total operating expenses			9,704,000
Total operating expenses	2,724,000	9,153,000		18,228,000
Impairment of goodwill			0
Income (loss) from operations	(4,207,000)	1,571,000	6,268,000	(10,091,000)
Interest expense, net	(124,000)	(58,000)	(162,000)	(107,000)
Intercompany interest, net	(1,532,000)	(2,051,000)	(3,459,000)	2,598,000
Equity in earnings (losses) of investments	4,160,000	6,387,000	5,892,000	8,388,000
Other income (expense)	6,000	(88,000)	6,000	(210,000)
Net income (loss) before income taxes	(1,697,000)	5,761,000	8,545,000	578,000
Income tax expense (benefit)	(10,000)	1,162,000	585,000	(129,000)
Net income (loss)	(1,687,000)	4,599,000	7,960,000	707,000
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest	0	0	0	0
Net income (loss) attributable to ION	(1,687,000)	4,599,000	7,960,000	707,000
Comprehensive net income (loss)	(1,687,000)	4,599,000	7,917,000	664,000
Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interest	0	0	0	0
Comprehensive net income (loss) attributable to ION	(1,687,000)	4,599,000	7,917,000	664,000
Reportable legal entities | All Other Subsidiaries
Condensed Income Statements
Net revenues	10,983,000	15,310,000	26,975,000	34,653,000
Cost of services and products	4,916,000	6,451,000	10,019,000	13,295,000
Impairment of multi-client data library			0
Gross profit (loss)	6,067,000	8,859,000	16,956,000	21,358,000
Total operating expenses			4,768,000
Total operating expenses	2,000,000	4,006,000		7,941,000
Impairment of goodwill			4,150,000
Income (loss) from operations	4,067,000	4,853,000	8,038,000	13,417,000
Interest expense, net	20,000	144,000	82,000	247,000
Intercompany interest, net	1,800,000	1,828,000	3,917,000	(3,121,000)
Equity in earnings (losses) of investments	0	0	0	0
Other income (expense)	7,000	203,000	(949,000)	(474,000)
Net income (loss) before income taxes	5,894,000	7,028,000	11,088,000	10,069,000
Income tax expense (benefit)	1,677,000	1,394,000	5,235,000	3,599,000
Net income (loss)	4,217,000	5,634,000	5,853,000	6,470,000
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest	(52,000)	(335,000)	25,000	(447,000)
Net income (loss) attributable to ION	4,165,000	5,299,000	5,878,000	6,023,000
Comprehensive net income (loss)	3,435,000	4,341,000	3,367,000	6,040,000
Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interest	(52,000)	(335,000)	25,000	(447,000)
Comprehensive net income (loss) attributable to ION	3,383,000	4,006,000	3,392,000	5,593,000
Consolidating Adjustments
Condensed Income Statements
Net revenues	0	0	0	0
Cost of services and products	0	0	0	0
Impairment of multi-client data library			0
Gross profit (loss)	0	0	0	0
Total operating expenses			0
Total operating expenses	0	0		0
Impairment of goodwill			0
Income (loss) from operations	0	0	0	0
Interest expense, net	0	0	0	0
Intercompany interest, net	0	0	0	0
Equity in earnings (losses) of investments	(2,478,000)	(9,898,000)	(13,838,000)	(6,730,000)
Other income (expense)	0	0	0	0
Net income (loss) before income taxes	(2,478,000)	(9,898,000)	(13,838,000)	(6,730,000)
Income tax expense (benefit)	0	0	0	0
Net income (loss)	(2,478,000)	(9,898,000)	(13,838,000)	(6,730,000)
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest	0	0	0	0
Net income (loss) attributable to ION	(2,478,000)	(9,898,000)	(13,838,000)	(6,730,000)
Comprehensive net income (loss)	(1,696,000)	(8,605,000)	(11,309,000)	(6,257,000)
Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interest	0	0	0	0
Comprehensive net income (loss) attributable to ION	$ (1,696,000)	$ (8,605,000)	$ (11,309,000)	$ (6,257,000)