Condensed Consolidating Financial Information - Condensed Balance Sheet (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 49,640	$ 52,652	$ 76,670	$ 84,933
Accounts receivable, net	16,173	20,770
Unbilled receivables	17,423	13,415
Inventories	15,220	15,241
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	7,262	9,559
Total current assets	105,718	111,637
Property, plant, equipment and seismic rental equipment, net	63,173	67,488
Multi-client data library, net	101,493	105,935
Investment in subsidiaries	0	0
Goodwill	22,542	22,208
Intangible assets, net	2,745	3,103
Intercompany receivables	0	0
Other assets	2,457	2,845
Total assets	298,128	313,216
Current liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt	12,966	14,581
Accounts payable	26,662	26,889
Accrued expenses	29,878	26,240
Accrued multi-client data library royalties	23,613	23,663
Deferred revenue	10,834	3,709
Total current liabilities	103,953	95,082
Long-term debt, net of current maturities	144,373	144,209
Intercompany payables	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	18,026	20,527
Total liabilities	266,352	259,818
Stockholders’ equity:
Common stock	119	118
Additional paid-in capital	900,056	899,198
Accumulated earnings (deficit)	(848,021)	(824,679)
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	(21,231)	(21,748)
Due from ION Geophysical Corporation	0	0
Total stockholders’ equity	30,923	52,889
Noncontrolling interests	853	509
Total equity	31,776	53,398
Total liabilities and equity	298,128	313,216
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | ION Geophysical Corporation [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	28,366	23,042	27,097	33,734
Accounts receivable, net	0	0
Unbilled receivables	0	0
Inventories	0	0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	2,591	3,387
Total current assets	30,957	26,429
Property, plant, equipment and seismic rental equipment, net	1,576	1,745
Multi-client data library, net	0	0
Investment in subsidiaries	660,937	660,880
Goodwill	0	0
Intangible assets, net	0	0
Intercompany receivables	0	0
Other assets	2,049	2,469
Total assets	695,519	691,523
Current liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt	10,852	11,281
Accounts payable	3,123	2,101
Accrued expenses	14,525	8,579
Accrued multi-client data library royalties	0	0
Deferred revenue	0	0
Total current liabilities	28,500	21,961
Long-term debt, net of current maturities	144,183	143,930
Intercompany payables	491,440	472,276
Other long-term liabilities	473	467
Total liabilities	664,596	638,634
Stockholders’ equity:
Common stock	119	118
Additional paid-in capital	900,056	899,198
Accumulated earnings (deficit)	(848,021)	(824,679)
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	(21,231)	(21,748)
Due from ION Geophysical Corporation	0	0
Total stockholders’ equity	30,923	52,889
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	30,923	52,889
Total liabilities and equity	695,519	691,523
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | The Guarantors [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	5,489	12,775
Unbilled receivables	6,250	5,275
Inventories	8,583	8,610
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	2,219	4,624
Total current assets	22,541	31,284
Property, plant, equipment and seismic rental equipment, net	11,216	12,369
Multi-client data library, net	91,474	97,369
Investment in subsidiaries	261,565	257,732
Goodwill	0	0
Intangible assets, net	2,673	3,008
Intercompany receivables	193,054	0
Other assets	145	145
Total assets	582,668	401,907
Current liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt	2,114	3,166
Accounts payable	19,887	19,720
Accrued expenses	7,782	10,016
Accrued multi-client data library royalties	23,613	23,663
Deferred revenue	2,199	2,667
Total current liabilities	55,595	59,232
Long-term debt, net of current maturities	190	279
Intercompany payables	0	10,155
Other long-term liabilities	11,744	12,117
Total liabilities	67,529	81,783
Stockholders’ equity:
Common stock	290,460	290,460
Additional paid-in capital	180,699	180,700
Accumulated earnings (deficit)	212,973	216,730
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	4,372	4,420
Due from ION Geophysical Corporation	(173,365)	(372,186)
Total stockholders’ equity	515,139	320,124
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	515,139	320,124
Total liabilities and equity	582,668	401,907
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | All Other Subsidiaries [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	21,274	29,610	$ 49,573	$ 51,199
Accounts receivable, net	10,684	7,995
Unbilled receivables	11,173	8,140
Inventories	6,637	6,631
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	2,452	1,548
Total current assets	52,220	53,924
Property, plant, equipment and seismic rental equipment, net	50,381	53,374
Multi-client data library, net	10,019	8,566
Investment in subsidiaries	0	0
Goodwill	22,542	22,208
Intangible assets, net	72	95
Intercompany receivables	46,606	32,174
Other assets	263	231
Total assets	182,103	170,572
Current liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt	0	134
Accounts payable	3,652	5,068
Accrued expenses	7,571	7,645
Accrued multi-client data library royalties	0	0
Deferred revenue	8,635	1,042
Total current liabilities	19,858	13,889
Long-term debt, net of current maturities	0	0
Intercompany payables	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	5,809	7,943
Total liabilities	25,667	21,832
Stockholders’ equity:
Common stock	49,394	19,138
Additional paid-in capital	202,291	232,590
Accumulated earnings (deficit)	3,850	(3,639)
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	(21,537)	(21,787)
Due from ION Geophysical Corporation	(78,415)	(78,071)
Total stockholders’ equity	155,583	148,231
Noncontrolling interests	853	509
Total equity	156,436	148,740
Total liabilities and equity	182,103	170,572
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
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
Property, plant, equipment and seismic rental equipment, net	0	0
Multi-client data library, net	0	0
Investment in subsidiaries	(922,502)	(918,612)
Goodwill	0	0
Intangible assets, net	0	0
Intercompany receivables	(239,660)	(32,174)
Other assets	0	0
Total assets	(1,162,162)	(950,786)
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	(491,440)	(482,431)
Other long-term liabilities	0	0
Total liabilities	(491,440)	(482,431)
Stockholders’ equity:
Common stock	(339,854)	(309,598)
Additional paid-in capital	(382,990)	(413,290)
Accumulated earnings (deficit)	(216,823)	(213,091)
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	17,165	17,367
Due from ION Geophysical Corporation	251,780	450,257
Total stockholders’ equity	(670,722)	(468,355)
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	(670,722)	(468,355)
Total liabilities and equity	$ (1,162,162)	$ (950,786)