Yellowstone Volcanic Floor Rises

6-year-old Texas boy survives attack in national park

(NEWSER) - A 6-year-old Texas boy survived an attack by a hungry mountain lion in Big Bend National Park. The boy was walking with his family when the animal pounced, leaving him with puncture wounds and scratches, AP reports. The mountain lion tried to attack another family, but was fended off with a backpack. The animal—described by both families as young, small, and malnourished—is being hunted with a team of dogs, and will be killed if found. Parts of the west Texas park were evacuated after the attack. More»

The National Park Service will enforce rules beginning Monday

(NEWSER) - One of the Occupy movement's longest-standing camps will soon no longer be a place to lay your head: Occupy DC protesters will be banned from camping in the two parks they have occupied since October as of noon on Monday. The National Park Service has alerted the demonstrators they must stop camping in McPherson Square and Freedom Plaza, both blocks away from the White House, reports Reuters . There are as many as 100 protesters currently living in McPherson Square. More»

$43M project planned in central Oregon

(AP) - Geothermal energy developers plan to pump 24 million gallons of water into the side of a dormant volcano in central Oregon this summer to demonstrate new technology they hope will give a boost to a green energy sector that has yet to live up to its promise. They hope the water comes back to the surface fast enough and hot enough to create cheap, clean electricity that isn't dependent on sunny skies or stiff breezes. "We know the heat is there," says the president of one of the companies involved, Seattle's AltaRock Energy. "The big issue is can we circulate enough water through the system to make it economic." More»

Column of ash measured 16K feet

(NEWSER) - Mount Etna is at it again: Europe's most active volcano burst to life again yesterday morning, spewing lava and sending a pillar of ash 16,000 feet into the air, ITN reports. Experts say there's no danger to nearby villages, however, and so far no flights have been canceled—though the nearby Catania airport did hold a crisis meeting to discuss the possibility, according to Sky News . More»

Want to stay off the beaten path? Start here

(NEWSER) - If you’ve seen enough of Old Faithful and the Grand Canyon, CNN has an idea for you: Why not visit another of the country’s 397 national parks and monuments, like one of these seven you’ve probably never heard of?

• Dry Tortugas: You have to seriously want to make it all the way out to one of these seven islands 70 miles west of Key West, which are only accessible by ferry or seaplane. But don’t expect actual dryness: Tropical storms are a regular occurrence.