Condensed Consolidating Financial Information - Condensed Cash Flow Statement (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	$ 1,983	$ 2,479
Cash flows from investing activities:
Cash invested in multi-client data library	(3,363)	(6,327)
Purchase of property, plant, equipment and seismic rental equipment	(49)	(266)
Net cash used in investing activities	(3,412)	(6,593)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Repurchase of common stock	0	(964)
Payments on notes payable and long-term debt	(1,706)	(2,212)
Cost associated with issuance of notes	0	1,315
Intercompany lending	0	0
Costs associated with issuance of equity	(123)
Other financing activities	(163)	13
Net cash used in financing activities	(1,992)	(4,478)
Effect of change in foreign currency exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents	409	329
Net decrease in cash, and cash equivalents	(3,012)	(8,263)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	52,652	84,933
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	49,640	76,670
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | ION Geophysical Corporation [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	7,690	(8,953)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Cash invested in multi-client data library	0	0
Purchase of property, plant, equipment and seismic rental equipment	0	0
Net cash used in investing activities	0	0
Cash flows from financing activities:
Repurchase of common stock		(964)
Payments on notes payable and long-term debt	(506)	(167)
Cost associated with issuance of notes		1,315
Intercompany lending	(1,574)	4,749
Costs associated with issuance of equity	(123)
Other financing activities	(163)	13
Net cash used in financing activities	(2,366)	2,316
Effect of change in foreign currency exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Net decrease in cash, and cash equivalents	5,324	(6,637)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	23,042	33,734
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	28,366	27,097
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | The Guarantors [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	3,373	(3,804)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Cash invested in multi-client data library	(1,527)	(6,327)
Purchase of property, plant, equipment and seismic rental equipment	0	(266)
Net cash used in investing activities	(1,527)	(6,593)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Repurchase of common stock		0
Payments on notes payable and long-term debt	(1,142)	(1,859)
Cost associated with issuance of notes		0
Intercompany lending	(704)	12,256
Costs associated with issuance of equity	0	0
Other financing activities	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities	(1,846)	10,397
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	(9,080)	15,236
Cash flows from investing activities:
Cash invested in multi-client data library	(1,836)	0
Purchase of property, plant, equipment and seismic rental equipment	(49)	0
Net cash used in investing activities	(1,885)	0
Cash flows from financing activities:
Repurchase of common stock		0
Payments on notes payable and long-term debt	(58)	(186)
Cost associated with issuance of notes		0
Intercompany lending	2,278	(17,005)
Costs associated with issuance of equity	0
Other financing activities	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities	2,220	(17,191)
Effect of change in foreign currency exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents	409	329
Net decrease in cash, and cash equivalents	(8,336)	(1,626)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	29,610	51,199
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	21,274	$ 49,573
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Cash flows from financing activities:
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	$ 0