A volcano that has not erupted in 250,000 years is showing signs of an imminent eruption that would cause destruction and loss of life.

Uturuncu, a so-called 'zombie' volcano located in the Andes Mountains of Bolivia, has experienced increased seismic activity and gas emissions, sparking fears that an eruption may be imminent.

This unrest is visible in a distinctive 'sombrero' pattern of ground deformation, where the land at the center of the volcano is rising while the surrounding area is sinking.

A team of scientists led by the University of Oxford in the UK discovered that this activity is due to the movement of liquid and gas beneath the crater, which sits above the largest known magma body in the Earth's crust.

Uturuncu stands over 19,700 feet high and is a stratovolcano—a large, steep, cone-shaped volcano built up by layers of hardened lava, volcanic ash and rock.

Mount St. Helens and Mount Vesuvius are also stratovolcanoes known for their catastrophic eruptions.