Condensed Consolidating Financial Information - Condensed Cash Flow Statement (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	$ 3,232	$ (35,996)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Cash invested in multi-client data library	(11,601)	(28,152)
Purchase of property, plant, equipment and seismic rental equipment	(567)	(17,601)
Other investing activities	0	1,262
Net cash used in investing activities	(12,168)	(44,491)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Borrowings under revolving line of credit	15,000	0
Repurchase of common stock	(964)
Payments on notes payable and long-term debt	(6,726)	(5,431)
Cost associated with issuance of notes	(6,638)	(146)
Intercompany lending	0	0
Repayments To Repurchase Bonds	(15,000)	0
Other financing activities	13	(52)
Net cash used in financing activities	(14,315)	(5,483)
Effect of change in foreign currency exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents	854	601
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents	(22,397)	(85,369)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	84,933	173,608
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	62,536	88,239
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | ION Geophysical Corporation [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	(31,403)	(414,473)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Cash invested in multi-client data library	0	0
Purchase of property, plant, equipment and seismic rental equipment	0	(347)
Other investing activities		0
Net cash used in investing activities	0	(347)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Borrowings under revolving line of credit	15,000
Repurchase of common stock	(964)
Payments on notes payable and long-term debt	(951)	0
Cost associated with issuance of notes	(6,638)
Intercompany lending	31,867	330,828
Repayments To Repurchase Bonds	(15,000)
Other financing activities	13	(52)
Net cash used in financing activities	23,327	330,776
Effect of change in foreign currency exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents	(8,076)	(84,044)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	33,734	109,514
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	25,658	25,470
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | The Guarantors [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	50,669	173,725
Cash flows from investing activities:
Cash invested in multi-client data library	(10,027)	(27,282)
Purchase of property, plant, equipment and seismic rental equipment	(567)	(1,162)
Other investing activities		1,262
Net cash used in investing activities	(10,594)	(27,182)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Borrowings under revolving line of credit	0
Repurchase of common stock	0
Payments on notes payable and long-term debt	(5,304)	(4,798)
Cost associated with issuance of notes	0
Intercompany lending	(34,771)	(141,745)
Repayments To Repurchase Bonds	0
Other financing activities	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities	(40,075)	(146,543)
Effect of change in foreign currency exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	0	0
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | All Other Subsidiaries [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	(16,034)	204,752
Cash flows from investing activities:
Cash invested in multi-client data library	(1,574)	(870)
Purchase of property, plant, equipment and seismic rental equipment	0	(16,092)
Other investing activities		0
Net cash used in investing activities	(1,574)	(16,962)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Borrowings under revolving line of credit	0
Repurchase of common stock	0
Payments on notes payable and long-term debt	(471)	(633)
Cost associated with issuance of notes	0
Intercompany lending	2,904	(189,083)
Repayments To Repurchase Bonds	0
Other financing activities	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities	2,433	(189,716)
Effect of change in foreign currency exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents	854	601
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents	(14,321)	(1,325)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	51,199	64,094
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	$ 36,878	$ 62,769