One of his chief scientific interests was the geology of Antarctica, to which he traveled several times, including twice with the explorer Admiral Richard E. Byrd.
[3][4] The Marie Byrd Land Survey was a complex operation involving fixed wing and helicopter camps.
He was head of the Geology department at Texas Tech University, but resigned the position in 1964 to focus on active Antarctic research.
His successor in the position, Richard Maddox, later said: "For Al, the paperwork and meetings were a waste of the time he could have spent in teaching and research.
[10] This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Geological Survey.