Percentage of gross profit over revenue.

No definition available.

Name:	io_GrossMargin
Namespace Prefix:	io_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

This item represents the carrying amount on the entity's balance sheet of its investment in common stock of an equity method investee. This is not an indicator of the fair value of the investment, rather it is the initial cost adjusted for the entity's share of earnings and losses of the investee, adjusted for any distributions (dividends) and other than temporary impairment (OTTI) losses recognized.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 323
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66022249&loc=d3e33749-111570

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.12)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestments
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Aggregate revenue less cost of goods and services sold or operating expenses directly attributable to the revenue generation activity.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 225
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03.1,2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=63488584&loc=d3e20235-122688

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_GrossProfit
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of income (loss) from continuing operations, including income (loss) from equity method investments, before deduction of income tax expense (benefit), and income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 940
-SubTopic 20
-Section 25
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=68072869&loc=d3e41242-110953

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 225
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03(10))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=63488584&loc=d3e20235-122688

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 225
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-04(15))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879574&loc=d3e536633-122882

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 225
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-04(8))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879464&loc=d3e573970-122913

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesExtraordinaryItemsNoncontrollingInterest
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The net amount of nonoperating interest income (expense).

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_InterestIncomeExpenseNonoperatingNet
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The aggregate amount of income or expense from ancillary business-related activities (that is to say, excluding major activities considered part of the normal operations of the business).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 225
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03.7)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=63488584&loc=d3e20235-122688

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_NonoperatingIncomeExpense
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Number of segments reported by the entity. A reportable segment is a component of an entity for which there is an accounting requirement to report separate financial information on that component in the entity's financial statements.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_NumberOfReportableSegments
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The net result for the period of deducting operating expenses from operating revenues.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ReconciliationFromSegmentTotalsToConsolidatedAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Total revenue from sale of goods and services rendered during the reporting period, in the normal course of business, reduced by sales returns and allowances, and sales discounts.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 225
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03.1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=63488584&loc=d3e20235-122688

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_SegmentReportingInformationLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis=us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=io_SolutionsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis=io_NewVentureAndDataLibraryMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis=io_NewVentureMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis=io_DataLibraryMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis=io_DataProcessingMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=io_SystemsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=io_SoftwareSegmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis=io_SoftwareSystemsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis=io_ServicesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=io_OceanBottomServicesSegmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ConsolidationItemsAxis=us-gaap_CorporateNonSegmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=us-gaap_CorporateAndOtherMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis=us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis=io_InovaGeophysicalMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Segment Information (Details)		3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
Segment Information (Details)	Aug. 04, 2016 segment	Jun. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2016 USD ($) segment	Jun. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Number of business segments \| segment				4
Summary of segment information
Revenues		$ 36,152,000	$ 36,795,000	$ 58,817,000	$ 77,373,000
Gross profit (loss)		4,853,000	(10,135,000)	(4,077,000)	(25,923,000)
Income (loss) from operations		(16,588,000)	(40,689,000)	(46,717,000)	(87,378,000)
Interest expense, net		(4,702,000)	(4,607,000)	(9,436,000)	(9,232,000)
Other income (expense), net		(1,717,000)	101,600,000	(1,597,000)	98,381,000
Income (loss) before income taxes		(23,007,000)	56,304,000	(57,750,000)	1,771,000
Operating segments [Member]
Summary of segment information
Revenues		36,152,000	36,795,000	58,817,000	77,373,000
Gross profit (loss)		$ 4,853,000	$ (10,135,000)	$ (4,077,000)	$ (25,923,000)
Gross margin		13.00%	(28.00%)	(7.00%)	(34.00%)
Operating segments [Member] \| Solutions [Member]
Summary of segment information
Revenues		$ 18,618,000	$ 22,350,000	$ 31,636,000	$ 41,349,000
Gross profit (loss)		$ (3,533,000)	$ (7,856,000)	$ (13,306,000)	$ (18,248,000)
Gross margin		(19.00%)	(35.00%)	(42.00%)	(44.00%)
Income (loss) from operations		$ (8,649,000)	$ (19,756,000)	$ (24,126,000)	$ (41,534,000)
Operating segments [Member] \| Solutions [Member] \| New Venture and Data Library [Member]
Summary of segment information
Revenues		10,854,000	11,145,000	18,432,000	18,311,000
Operating segments [Member] \| Solutions [Member] \| New Venture [Member]
Summary of segment information
Revenues		4,579,000	3,636,000	7,885,000	8,665,000
Operating segments [Member] \| Solutions [Member] \| Data Library [Member]
Summary of segment information
Revenues		6,275,000	7,509,000	10,547,000	9,646,000
Operating segments [Member] \| Solutions [Member] \| Data Processing [Member]
Summary of segment information
Revenues		7,764,000	11,205,000	13,204,000	23,038,000
Operating segments [Member] \| Systems [Member]
Summary of segment information
Revenues		6,626,000	7,674,000	11,985,000	20,443,000
Gross profit (loss)		$ 1,358,000	$ 1,500,000	$ 2,721,000	$ 6,059,000
Gross margin		20.00%	20.00%	23.00%	30.00%
Income (loss) from operations		$ (1,843,000)	$ (2,379,000)	$ (4,352,000)	$ (1,365,000)
Operating segments [Member] \| Software [Member]
Summary of segment information
Revenues		4,475,000	6,771,000	8,763,000	15,581,000
Gross profit (loss)		$ 2,761,000	$ 4,208,000	$ 5,287,000	$ 9,798,000
Gross margin		62.00%	62.00%	60.00%	63.00%
Income (loss) from operations		$ 899,000	$ 2,095,000	$ 1,895,000	$ 5,430,000
Operating segments [Member] \| Software [Member] \| Software Systems [Member]
Summary of segment information
Revenues		4,096,000	5,798,000	8,246,000	13,527,000
Operating segments [Member] \| Software [Member] \| Services [Member]
Summary of segment information
Revenues		379,000	973,000	517,000	2,054,000
Operating segments [Member] \| Ocean Bottom Services Segment [Member]
Summary of segment information
Revenues		6,433,000	0	6,433,000	0
Gross profit (loss)		$ 4,267,000	$ (7,987,000)	$ 1,221,000	$ (23,532,000)
Gross margin		66.00%	0.00%	19.00%	0.00%
Income (loss) from operations		$ 2,884,000	$ (10,008,000)	$ (1,330,000)	$ (27,567,000)
Corporate and other [Member] \| Corporate and Other [Member]
Summary of segment information
Income (loss) from operations		$ (9,879,000)	$ (10,641,000)	$ (18,804,000)	$ (22,342,000)
Subsequent event [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Number of business segments \| segment	3
INOVA Geophysical [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Equity method investments value						$ 0